President Dr. Arif Alvi expressed that his current position in thePresident’s House likely prevented him from being in jail, remarking duringan interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News.
He also noted that had he held a ministerial position, he might have faceda similar fate. In response to questions about the amendments in sections57(1) and 58(1) of the Election Act 2017, President Alvi stated that hewouldn’t have granted his approval to those changes since they were inconflict with the Constitution.
President Alvi indicated his skepticism about the upcoming electionsscheduled for January of the following year, but he expressed confidencethat the Supreme Court would deliver a balanced verdict on the matter.
He affirmed his continued allegiance to Imran Khan, who is currentlyimprisoned. When Hamid Mir mentioned Aleema Khan’s statement regarding thepresident’s dissatisfaction, President Alvi explained that the former primeminister kept a close watch on him, both as a friend and as a leader.
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It’s worth mentioning that Sadiq Sanjrani, who was acting president at thetime, signed the Election (Amendment) Bill 2023, which paved the way forNawaz Sharif and Jahangir Tareen to participate in elections.
Following the acting president’s approval on Monday, the bill has nowbecome an act of Parliament, specifying that disqualification cannot exceedfive years unless otherwise specified.