Alvi resents Kakar’s 'tone and tenor'

Objects to ‘unacceptable language’ in NA summary

ISLAMABAD:

 

On Wednesday, President Dr Arif Alvi, while signing a summary sent by Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar for summoning the inaugural session of the 16th National Assembly, expressed dissatisfaction with the "tone and tenor" of the interim PM. Dr Alvi noted that Kakar had resorted to "unacceptable language" and baseless allegations.

A press release issued by the President’s Secretariat on Wednesday night stated that the president summoned the NA session with some reservations. "The president accorded his approval while keeping in view the mandate and implications of the timeline given in Article 91(2) and subject to some reservations and expecting the resolution of the issue of the reserved seats before the 21st day."

Dr Alvi had earlier returned a summary moved by the caretaker government due to the non-allocation of reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), a party comprising PTI-backed independent lawmakers. However, the president signed the second such summary in a change of heart.

The statement said, "While responding to the summary…, the president said that the tone and tenor of the honorable caretaker prime minister of Pakistan was unfortunate."

He took exception to the contents of the summary, stating, "Summaries are not usually addressed in this way. It is sad that the chief executive of the country addresses the head of the state in the first form and resorts to unacceptable language and allegations without any substance."

The statement said the president believed and always maintained the principle of objectivity and neutrality in accordance with his oath and responsibilities under the Constitution and could not be oblivious of some incongruities in the electoral and government formation processes.

It noted that the president has to keep national interest in his view, for cohesiveness and betterment of the nation, adding that the return of the first summary was very much in accordance with the provisions of Article 48(1) of the Constitution.
"It is not understood on what grounds it [the decision to return the first summary] has been taken as a partisan act, though it was also aimed at the completion of the National Assembly in accordance with Article 51 of the Constitution, so that people of Pakistan are not deprived of taking part in the executive decisions of the country through their representatives as enshrined in the Objectives Resolution."

The president stated that he did not wish to indulge himself or delve into the baseless accusations of constitutional violation attributed in the summary.

 “It was needless to remind that a caretaker prime minister/set-up is merely responsible to ensure conducive conditions for the peaceful, fair and transparent holding of general elections, within the framework of the Constitution and the timeline on which many quarters had expressed reservations.

The president stated that he fully realized that the Constitution of Pakistan must be implemented in letter and spirit, though it was not being done so in case of the existing electoral process.

He reiterated his stance about the provisions of the Constitution such as Article 51 and clause 2 of Article 91 to be followed by all and given effect in letter and spirit.

"Of late the Election Commission of Pakistan is seized of the exercise contemplated by Article 51 of the Constitution, the outcome of which was awaited and expected by the 21st day as envisaged in Article 91(2). However, till this time no decision has been made by the commission,” he said,