Daily Times

President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday reiterated that political parties should undertake discussions on the holding of early elections.

In an interview with a news channel, he said at one time everybody including political parties in the sitting government wanted early elections. However, the president said now the government and the business community was more concerned about the economic conditions. He said the latest technologies were being used to tap the conversations of people.

He viewed that taping of phones should be discouraged. It was the mindset of humans to try to know about others, and that was why audios were taped all across the world. Conversations were taped by the state apparatus in the past as well, he noted.

He condemned the recent audio leaks and recalled in the past former president Farooq Leghari removed a government after allegedly listening to some audio tapes. To a question, he said during a recent meeting, he had a discussion with the prime minister on the situation after floods and prevailing economic conditions. He, however, clarified that he did not have an exchange of views with the prime minster on the issue of leaked audio tapes.

He said a procedure was laid down in the Constitution for the appointment of army chief. He supported the idea of consultation between the prime minister and opposition leader Imran Khan for appointment of the army chief.

He said Pakistan was faced with many crises, including COVID 19, floods and polarization in politics. “I have been making efforts to resolve the issues faced by the state of Pakistan.”

It was constitutional to dissolve the National Assembly on the advice of the prime minister, he said, when he was asked about his decision to dissolve the NA on the advice of former prime minister Imran Khan who was facing a vote of no-confidence at the time.

To a question, he said he did not sign the bills regarding the National Accountability Bureau and electronic voting machines because of disagreements. He, however, agreed that reforms were needed in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

He said his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) believed in bringing students to mainstream politics and providing them a platform for political training.

He said all the state institutions should be on the same page. The army was playing an important role in defence of the country’s borders and during natural disasters, and had a significant input in the foreign relations of the country, he added. The civilians and the army had their own domains, he remarked, adding the institution of the army responded effectively for carrying out projects and tasks, and had upheld merit in a better way in the matters of promotions of officers.

President Alvi said the society should focus on issues of women empowerment and property inheritance, and problems of the common man should be resolved.