Dr. Arif Alvi makes bold remarks over ECP's credibility
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On Wednesday, President Dr. Arif Alvi expressed uncertainty regarding the proposed January date for the general elections, questioning whether they would proceed as scheduled by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
He disclosed that he had written a letter to the ECP suggesting an amicable resolution, but their response was dismissive. In September, the ECP had announced that the elections would occur in the last week of January 2024, based on the completion of the delimitation process by November 30, followed by a 54-day election program.
This announcement seemed to clarify the political landscape but left room for speculation, as the exact election date remained undisclosed. During an interview with a private TV channel, Alvi reaffirmed his allegiance to PTI Chairman Imran Khan, stating that Khan is still his leader and that if he were not the President, he might be in jail today.
This came after the incarceration of several PTI leaders and supporters following the May 9 riots that ensued after Khan's arrest on the same day. Many PTI leaders later distanced themselves from the party due to a law enforcement crackdown in response to attacks on military installations.
Alvi also mentioned that he signed the 2017 Election Act amendment while on Hajj pilgrimage, and he did not sign it earlier due to changes to Article 57/1 in the Act. In August, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja declined to meet with President Alvi to finalize the election date, citing recent amendments to the Elections Act 2017, emphasizing that the ECP held sole authority to announce the polling date.
During the interview, Alvi clarified that he did not initiate the reference against Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faiz Isa; it originated from the Prime Minister's House.
Later, former Prime Minister Imran Khan also refused to send the reference. In May 2019, at the advice of Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi had filed a reference against Justice Isa, who was not the Chief Justice at the time.
