Alvi calls for ‘urgent’ dialogue among all stakeholders

Former president Dr Arif Alvi on Monday called for urgent dialogue among Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and all other stakeholders to help the country navigate out of its current political turmoil.

Addressing a gathering of PTI office-bearers and various wings in Lahore, Dr Alvi congratulated PTI workers, supporters, and the people of Pakistan on the acquittal of Imran Khan, along with former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in the cypher case.

The meeting was chaired by PTI Central Punjab President Ejaz Manhas, with notable PTI senior leaders such as Azam Khan Swati, Brigadier (retd) Ejaz Shah, Dr Azeemuddin Lakho, Sardar Azeemullah Advocate, and Zubair Kisan in attendance.

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The former president reiterated the importance of dialogue to resolve the political crisis, stressing that all stakeholders must participate as it is the sole path to improvement in Pakistan.

In his address, Dr Alvi criticised the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, accusing it of rampant corruption and mismanagement.

He claimed that the PML-N leadership has fostered numerous new ‘Gullu Butts’ over the past two years, with corruption escalating since the regime change.

Praising the PTI government's social welfare initiatives, the PTI leader stated that Imran Khan had earnestly worked towards transforming Pakistan into a welfare state modelled after the state of Madinah. "Imran Khan aimed to create a society where everyone is equal and has access to basic necessities," he remarked, accusing the PML-N of plotting to overthrow Imran Khan's administration.

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Dr Alvi maintained that although the PTI government was removed through a conspiracy, they will not rest until they regain power to continue serving the people of Pakistan.

The meeting also discussed organising workers’ conventions in various cities across Punjab.

Speaking to the media, Dr Alvi condemned the baseless cases filed against PTI workers, commending the judiciary for upholding the law. He stressed that justice should be equal for all and urged that the nation must overcome its current predicament.

He called on the army, civilians, and politicians to learn from the Hamoodur Rahman Commission report and step back from inappropriate actions. He insisted that all institutions must extricate themselves from their current deadlocks to progress.

He emphasised the need for construction and growth, asserting that progress cannot be achieved without dialogue. He questioned the practicality of communication through newspapers and criticised the notion of demanding apologies from those in jail.

The former president also defended PTI's right to request a judge to recuse themselves and asserted that the prime minister has a duty to disclose matters of national interest.

He questioned whether a section officer should dictate what the prime minister can reveal and warned that the courts' reputation would suffer if these issues were not addressed.

He recounted being barred from visiting PTI leader Mian Mahmoodur Rashid at Services Hospital by the on-duty SHO, who asked if he had a permit for the visit.

Dr Alvi expressed his visit was on moral grounds, unaware of the need for a permit, but was informed that Rashid was in judicial custody and could not be visited without permission.