ISLAMABAD – President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday said the government had notdone any blackmailing in giving ‘conditional approval’ to ailing formerprime minister Nawaz Sharif to go abroad for his medical treatment.
He rejected any option of presidential pardon for the Pakistan MuslimLeague-Nawaz (PML-N) leader. Only the Parliament was empowered to frame alaw for the purpose, he added.
Talking to a private television channel, the president said had there beena presidential pardon for a ‘particular person’ then it would be free forall the convicts.
He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had waged a long struggleagainst corruption, which had ruined all the fabric of the Pakistanisociety. There was no allegation of corruption against its government, headded.
To a question about the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) decision toswing into action with its ‘Plan B’ with ending its Azadi March in thefederal capital and opting for country-wide lockdown, President Alvi saidholding protest was the right of every person but blocking main roads wasnot the right path. The opposition should continue their democraticstruggle and protest but did not opt for any undemocratic way, he added.
“The Azadi March has nothing to do with the people’s welfare as Pakistancannot afford such kinds of protests at this critical time.
This march has damaged the Kashmir cause as it diverted the people’sattention from the burning issue,” he said.
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The president said being a political worker he himself staged protests andwas also arrested in the process. His politics, however, was based onresolution of social problems and welfare of the people, he added.
The issuance of presidential ordinances, Dr Alvi expressed his dismaysaying both the treasury and opposition benches were not serious infulfilling their basic responsibility of legislation.
“Legislation is the job of Parliament. When the parliamentarians do theirjob of legislation then there will be no need of issuance of ordinances.”
Majority of the ordinances, he said, were related to welfare of the people.
About Justice Faiz Isa reference, the president said he had made hisopinion about it and now it was before the apex court.
