Gauhar Zahid Malik
Islamabad
President Dr Arif Alvi has said the PDM’s demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan and dissolution of the assemblies was without any logic.
In an interaction with media at the sidelines of an event highlighting plight of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Monday, the president made it clear neither the PM was stepping down nor the Parliament would be dissolved.
The opposition parties have launched a campaign for the last two years to destabilize the government, he said.
In the detailed one-and-a-half hours interaction, the president spoke candidly on matters of national importance and held a national dialogue was the need of the hour.
He, however, in the same breath said any dialogue that compromised corruption or aimed at clipping the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) powers was meaningless.
Dialogue should be there on all issues including electoral reforms, said the president emphasizing positive approach of mind and keeping national interests supreme, said President Alvi.
To a question, the president said only Prime Minister had the final word on the timing of the dialogue and with whom it should be held.
The president reiterated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) one-point agenda was “corruption-free” Pakistan.
To a question he said the government claimed the opposition parties were seeking NRO while the opposition denied it, said the president and admitted both (the government and the opposition ) had adopted a tough stance on this particular issue.
The president hoped in the coming days temperatures in the Govt-Opposition ranks would lower down and relations would normalise. It is in the best interest of the country if both sides chose to avoid path of confrontation, he said. About acts of terrorism and unrest in Balochistan, the president said the government had evidence of the Indian involvement behind 99 per cent of such acts of sabotage.
Not only Balochistan, the game changer in the region China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was also a thorn in India’s eye and India had openly opposed this China-Pakistan multi-billion dollar project, said the president.
On Israel’s issue, the president said Pakistan stance was quite clear that it would not have diplomatic ties unless Palestinian issue is resolved in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Palestine.
He said Pakistan faced no pressure from any country on Israel’s issue.
The president said he was constantly in contact with Prime Minister adding “the prime minister guides me on a number of subjects.”
He said sometimes he exchanged with the prime minister light and humorous things just for amusement. To another question, the president said these days he was reading books of Islamic History and according to his information PM was also reading such books.
