ISLAMABAD April 16: National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain has written to both opposition groups, who claim majority support in their respective bid for the slot of the leader of opposition, to provide authenticated lists carrying signatures of MNAs with them.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and PPP Parliamentarians had earlier submitted lists of their respective supporting MNAs to the speaker in compliance with a letter he had written to them some time back.

The speaker has since been under pressure from both groups to appoint their respective candidate, but the lists they have submitted carry some names common in both, prompting the speaker to write to them again, sources said.

While the MMA has nominated its Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rehman for the slot, the PPP Parliamentarian’s candidate is its parliamentary leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim.

Deputy Secretary-General Hafiz Hussain Ahmed told Dawn that the MMA would raise the issue in the NA on Friday.