- March 11, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
KARACHI: Dr. Arif Alvi stated on Sunday in his first press conference since his resignation as President that he was still working to close the divide between the PTI and the establishment. Speaking to the media at his Karachi home, Dr. Alvi emphasized the need to take constructive action to unite the nation and urged the ruling class and government to acknowledge the mandate that his party has been given.
“If you’ve listened to my speeches lately, you know that I’ve been advocating for national unity and that the first step in achieving this would be acknowledging [PTI’s] mandate.” The former president responded, “I tried my best to patch things up,” when asked what he did to close the gap between his party and the establishment.
“I put everything into it. Sought to find a solution from every perspective. I made an effort at every meeting; some were open to the public, some were closed,” he declared, adamant that he had tried his hardest to find a solution between the two parties. He did admit, though, that his efforts were in vain. When asked about the events of May 9, he replied, “Even now, I’m trying to resolve things.” The military and the administration were in sync at the time, he said, which is why Pakistan was ranked third in the world for recovery from the Covid crisis.
Furthermore, he added that he had denounced the violence on May 9 and that he had no justification for changing his mind.”To achieve justice, it is necessary to conduct an investigation and punish those who violated the law,” Dr. Alvi stated. When questioned concerning the rumor that Imran Khan desired the appointment of General Faiz Hamid as the head of the army, Mr. Alvi stated that every time he discussed the issue with the founder of the PTI, Mr. Khan stated he had no choice in the matter.
“Yes, I was sent the cipher,” Mr. Alvi responded when asked if he had personally seen the contentious cipher. In addition, the ex-president demanded that Imran Khan’s cases be heard in public, including in those for which he had already received a sentence. He expressed confidence that the PTI founder would be cleared in such a case. He said that he would ask his attorneys to submit a request for a meeting with Mr. Khan in prison. He claimed that the PTI founder has his own opinions, just as he had, in response to the question of whether he owns all of Mr. Khan’s accusations against the establishment.
Regarding the reserved seats that the PTI-Sunni Ittehad Council alliance has been denied, he stated that he had been adamant that the assembly session should not be convened until a decision has been made on the matter. Furthermore, he remembered that he had expressed the same sentiment when he finally gave his approval for the summary to convene the first assembly meeting.
Speaking about his early days as a member of the PTI and insisting that Imran Khan was and is still his leader, he sidestepped direct questions about his future intentions and whether he will assume any leadership roles inside the party in Sindh. It was said by him that Pakistan was going through a difficult period: “The country has been going through conflict for the last few years, and the economy has been struggling.” He said, “I pray that the nation is headed in the right direction and that the people’s mandate be honored.”
Speaking of the economic difficulties facing the next government, he warned that no matter who was appointed to oversee Pakistan’s economy including the chief of the IMF there would be no simple answers. He remarked that setting an example for others to follow and inspiring them to practice austerity fell on the shoulders of the leaders.