President Arif Alvi on Sunday denied approving changes to the Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act while the law ministry, functioning under a caretaker setup, rebuked his statement and asked him to “take responsibility for his own actions”.
In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) around 2pm, Alvi said: “As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill, 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill, 2023 as I disagreed with these laws.”
The president said he asked his staff to return the bills unsigned within the stipulated time to make them “uneffective”.
“I confirmed from them many times that whether they have been returned and was assured that they were. However, I have found out today that my staff undermined my will and command. As Allah knows all, He will forgive Insha’Allah. But I ask forgiveness from those who will be affected,” the president said.
So far, the President House has not released a statement.
Alvi was said to have given his assent to the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023 on Saturday, although their current legal status in light of the president’s remarks has since become unclear.
