In a bid to create a level playing field before general elections in January, President Arif Alvi on Tuesday stressed the need to “end bitterness” and make way for “cooperation and forgiveness”.
In a meeting with Senator Muhammad Ali Khan Durrani at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday, the president said the upcoming general elections should be free, fair, transparent and inclusive.
According to a statement issued by the President’s House, Alvi stressed that all political parties and their leadership should be given equal opportunities to participate in the electoral process to “strengthen democracy in the country”. “Democracy will be meaningless if people are not able to elect a leader of their choice,” he said.
The president emphasised there was a dire need for political and institutional unity in the country to battle challenges, such as rising inflation. “Bitterness should end, and a way should be carved for cooperation and forgiveness,” he stated.
President Alvi further said that ownership and backing were needed from the public to take difficult decisions. “The upcoming general elections provide a good opportunity to create the vibrancy needed to rebuild our country,” he said, adding that political participation was the spirit of democracy.
Alvi’s remarks come as the PTI — the party to which he belongs — and its incarcerated chief Imran Khan face mounting legal challenges as well as a state crackdown, which was launched following May 9 riots and stand to threaten their participation in polls.
