ISLAMABAD, May 26: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Imran Khan, on Wednesday criticized the nomination of Maulana Fazlur Rehman as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly terming the move another attempt by establishment to divide the opposition, said a press release.

The press release quoted Mr Khan as saying that the appointment of the Maulana was without consensus and that the speaker had misused his discretionary powers to split the opposition.

He said the move was a malafide and unjustifiable one. The opposition had a vital role to play in a democracy and unless it was strong and effective it would fail to win against the despotic rule of military rule, he added.

He said the decision was a trap set by the government and urged the opposition parties to stand united. The splitting of opposition parties was exactly what the military rulers were planning for.