President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi gave an interview to Hamid Mir of Geo News on 25 Oct 2023. He is President but he is a person after all. A person has defects and to err is human. Here we see what he says while sitting in Presidency even after completing his tenure according to constitution. Here we are reminding him about his own character when he himself was violating what he is uttering now as outdated President.
President Dr Arif Alvi emphasized that for the future of the country, free, fair and credible elections should be held in which all the political parties be given a level-playing field to contest.
(Mr. President July 2018 Election was like the same what you are suggesting now? No)
He said different quarters were talking about ensuring level-playing field to all the political parties in the country. He said the basic norm should be the democracy and all the political leaders should be given equal opportunities to contest the upcoming elections.
(Such field was provided to the political parties other than PTI in July 2018 Elections?)
To a question, the president maintained that he had condemned 9th May incidents as he was always against such acts of damaged and destruction.
(Mr President you were leading the mob that attacked PTV and destroyed machinery there during PTI sit inn in 2014. A case is pending against you in the anti terrorism court of Islamabad)
To another query, he said that the constitution provided that a president might continue in the office till election of his successor and as the electoral requirement could not be met in the absence of assemblies, so leaving his office in vacuum was not good for him.
(For him or for the country ?)
In the parliamentary system, changes could take place to governments, he said adding, in the past, unconstitutional elements had derailed the democratic system in the country. The president expressed that despite difficult times, the country was moving on the path to democracy and there was a path to move forward.
(But your conduct in Presidency in last months shows the other side of picture – You were going against the democratic norms at many occasions , especially when you avoided giving oath to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif after no trust move succeeded against your party chief Imran Khan)
Appreciating former premier Benazir Bhutto, the president recollected that during 2001 when he was arrested and sent to jail, he was told by the jail authorities that contrary to dictatorship era, the environment in jails had been changed under the PPP government. He said credit should be given to the PPP as a political party that was the standard bearer of democracy and women’s rights.
(President is seeking support from the political parties that were declared thieves by his chairman Imran Khan)
The president also lauded former president Asif Ali Zardari for raising the slogan of ‘Pakistan Khappay’.
(Dr Arif Alvi forgets that his chairman Imran Khan called Zardari – Sub sey bari Bimaari – the biggest disease for the country – an isolated President seeking favors by flattering the party head)
To a question, the president said the people had the confidence in the superior courts and appreciated incumbent Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa as ‘highly respectable personality’, adding that the CJP had unified the court. The nation had great expectations from Justice Qazi Faez Isa, he said and expressed the optimism that the CJP would deliver. The president also reiterated that he had not sent reference against Justice Isa, as he had received it from the office of former prime minister who also maintained that he was not willing to send it.
(How naive is the President of Pakistan 🙂 who acts as he is asked to, having no decision of his own – Now he thinks that his lame excuses will be entertained by the nation and CJP Qazi – His complete conformity was found in the reference against Qazi)
Elaborating his viewpoint, the president said that the democratic system in the country was continuing but there was always a danger from a lobby that had been working to project that the democratic system in the country had failed. “There is need to unite the country. Pardoning and forbearing are the qualities that can build nations,” he added. In the religion of Islam, he said, consultation and public opinion were given due importance and with regard to the democratic system, the Islamic traditions were marvelous, he opined.
(Why Nawaz was ousted by the court of Saqib Nisar on the behest of the then Establishment in a case in which Nawaz’ name was not in the list but only Nawaz was made target and hit below the belt by his disqualification as Prime Minister. Where the democracy of the President go went gone at that time?)
About holding of elections in the country, the president said that the matter was subjudice before the courts that would decide the issue.
(Bindyal court gave the date 14 May 2023 for election but it came and passed without election. Why SCP should give a date now when there is no guarantee that the institutions will follow the constitution?)
President Alvi termed the number of out of school children, mental health, malnutrition and stunting issues as the grave ones which could not be resolved if they continued their political wrangling.
(Your party and its chief always trumpeted Nawaz is thief and Zardari is Bimari. No one bothered to address the social issues during 3 and half years of PTI government with you as President. You did not derive the attention of the then Prime Minister Imran Khan to do something on the social issues you are highlighting now as you are the only worried about the social problems?)
(Matter of fact is the decision makers have two faces in Pakistan. They are different in media and in their private or political life. They want to become the reformers but actually they themselves are the anarchists. This is the problem of this country for which the country is subjected to huge losses that can never be treated accordingly.)
Tazeen Akhtar
