The caretaker government and the polls overseer criticised the president on Friday after he raised the PTI’s concerns on a level playing field for political parties ahead of general elections with the interim prime minister.
Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi has advised President Arif Alvi that he should shun the impression of being the spokesperson of a party and perform his constitutional duties.
“It is the wish of the entire nation that the President of the State, Mr Arif Alvi, should perform his duties as a symbol of the federation and not give such an impression that people would see him as the spokesperson of a party,” he said in a statement that was shared by the PTV News on X.
“Unfortunately, as we get closer to the election, the president’s statements seem to be at odds with his constitutional role.”
The development comes two days after President Alvi in a letter to interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar raised the PTI’s concerns regarding the apparent erosion of fundamental rights and a level playing field for all political parties as the country heads for the general elections, which are scheduled to be held on February 8.
Earlier this month, the country’s top electoral authority and the president had agreed on February 8, as the date for general elections following the Supreme Court’s ultimatum to give a final poll date.
Amid reports of arrests, the PTI – a party from which Alvi belongs – has claimed that it was being stopped from carrying out political activities.
The caretaker information minister assured the president that the Election Commission of Pakistan was heading towards the election with “utmost diligence and responsibility”.
Election dates have been announced and all parties were allowed to engage in political activities within the framework of the constitution and law, he said and added: “Amid such a situation, the complaint of not providing equal opportunities by the president is very sad.”
In an apparent reference to the PTI, he added that the president knew well that the people who were demanding a level playing field were the ones “who ran away from the field by tearing down the pitch and taking the wickets”.
Such a statement was used by the rivals of former prime minister Imran Khan when the latter was facing the no-confidence motion in 2021.
“We hope that the President will allow the ECP to do its job and instead of being a worker of a political party, he will perform his duties as the president of the entire country, which is his constitutional duty.”
Later, the ECP, without naming the president, in a post on X said that an attempt was being made by a high official to make the transparency of the upcoming election “suspicious”.
“This behavior is not appropriate. The ECP is determined that the elections will be fair and transparent, and this will be ensured,” the ECP spokesperson said.
