President Arif Alvi on Tuesday called for political “bitterness” to end and make way for cooperation and forgiveness, as he reiterated calls for unity among all stakeholders to tackle the crises prevailing in the country.
A statement issued by the President’s Secretariat after a meeting between him and former minister Muhammad Ali Durrani at Aiwan-e-Sadr said Alvi had emphasized the dire need for political, institutional and stakeholder unity to tackle all prevailing difficulties, including the economy.
“Bitterness must end and give way to cooperation and forgiveness,” he said, adding difficult decisions required public support and ownership. He said the forthcoming general elections were a good opportunity to create vibrancy needed to rebuild the country and appreciated recent statements from various political leaders calling for a level playing field, as this would ensure inclusivity in democracy.
According to the statement, Alvi said the upcoming general elections should be free, fair, transparent and inclusive. Emphasizing that all political parties and their leadership should be given equal opportunities to participate in the election process to strengthen democracy in the country, he added: “Democracy becomes meaningless if people are not able to elect leaders of their choice.”
The president has largely remained silent on political matters since his constitutional term expired on Sept. 9, though he would continue in office until the election of a replacement after the general elections. Earlier this month, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s sister alleged her brother was displeased with Alvi’s failure to announce a date for polls, following which he posted on X, formerly Twitter, from his personal account and described Khan as the “most financially honest and patriotic person” he had ever known. Political observers have perceived this as an attempt by Alvi to avoid criticism from the PTI, supporters of which have made no secret of “their president” failing to advance their demands.