Talks on early elections ended in failure: President Alvi

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to defuse soaring tensions between the coalition government and the PTI, President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday revealed that he tried to find out a way for early elections via negotiations between the two sides but all his efforts failed.

Talking to journalists at Punjab Governor House in Lahore, President Alvi stressed the need for early elections. Referring to the ongoing political situation in the county, the president said that he was in contact with the institutions that can play an effective role in resolving the matters.

The president said that he used to make efforts to remove the differences between the institutions, adding that he wanted to keep the federation united.

Responding to a question, the president said that he was making efforts to improve ties between Imran Khan and the establishment.

“Khan is my leader and old friend,” the president said, adding that he does not take the PTI chief's advice before working.

Stressing the need for improvement within state institutions, President Alvi said, “institutions are being used politically.

“The constitution does not allow consultation on the appointment of the army chief,” the president said, adding that there is no harm in discussion on the appointment of the chief of army staff.

‘Trying to bring stakeholders on table’

President Alvi said, he, in his personal capacity, had been and still trying to bring stakeholders together on one table and resolve their differences by democratic means of discussion, consultation and deliberation and to find mutually agreed upon solutions on major issues and matters to reduce the political polarisation in the greater national interest, according to a press release issued by the President's Secretariat.

The president said that the country needed strong and effective institutions and every endeavour should be made for strengthening them and enabling them to perform their respective functions in accordance with the constitution.

All stakeholders may sit together and may decide upon a mutually agreed upon date for the next general elections which should be held in a free, fair and transparent manner, which he hoped would help reduce the political temperature, he added.

He further said that the stakeholders should also consider discussing the use of technology to bring efficiency, transparency and fairness in elections.

He further said that issues like inflation, economy, improving service delivery and reducing political polarisation were pressing issues which, in his opinion, needed to be addressed on priority.

‘Arshad Sharif sent me a letter about threats to his life’

Replying to a question, the president said that slain journalist Arshad sharif sent him a letter about threats to his life and he forwarded that letter along with his comments to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

He said that media was an integral part of the democratic dispensation and it should perform its functions freely without any intimidation or harassment under the relevant provisions of the constitution and laws.

Alvi said that we should train ourselves to verify every news and should not become an instrument for promoting fake and unverified news.

The president said: “We should educate our people to provide them the skills, knowledge and information to counter global warming and mitigate its harmful impacts and putting in place low-cost solutions to reduce the impact of natural calamities.”