Arif Alvi

Ex-Pak Prez Alvi advises Pakistanis to start from scratch to change destiny

The people of Pakistan must "reset, alt-del and restart" to change their destiny, former president Arif Alvi has said, asserting that the "poor but hardworking" nation, polarised by political differences, deserves better. Alvi, Pakistan's president from 2018 to March 2024, took to social media platform X on Thursday to criticise the cash-strapped country's current state of affairs. "The argument by some that it has happened before and others have also done the same is no justification to continue on this path, as it is retrogressive thinking with no way forward," the 74-year-old leader said. "To change our destiny is to Re-Think, Reset, Alt-Del, Clean the slate, Re-Start," he said. "Who will do it? Who can do it? Is it even possible? I think it is, as we have the potential, and this poor but hardworking nation certainly deserves better," the dentist-turned-politician said. Bashing the deterioration of Pakistan's economy, politics and judiciary, he said that there is severe stress

Pakistan National Assembly to meet after President Alvi summons session

Pakistan's newly-elected Parliament will meet on Thursday for its maiden session as President Dr Arif Alvi finally summoned the Assembly after differing with the caretaker government over the issue of former prime minister Imran Khan's party-backed candidates being allotted the reserved seats. Early on Thursday, Alvi approved a move from the caretaker parliamentary affairs ministry to summon the newly-elected National Assembly's first session on February 29, according to a statement posted by the president's X account. "Subject to some reservations, President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned to convene the National Assembly on February 29 in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 54(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," the statement said. It said that the president accorded his approval 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

Pakistan Supreme Court moved seeking removal of President Alvi: Reports

A petition has been filed in Pakistan's Supreme Court seeking President Arif Alvi's removal as the head of the state over "misconduct" and failure to maintain impartiality in performing his duties, according to media reports on Sunday. The petition, filed by one Ghulam Murtaza Khan on Saturday, alleges that the president has been evasive in performing his constitutional obligations, the Dawn newspaper reported. He has violated the Constitution and committed gross misconduct; therefore, he is not eligible to continue his duties as the president and needs to be declared that he should not continue as president of Pakistan, the petition said. Being the head of the State, he is under constitutional obligation to work in accordance with the law, but he was misusing the powers and violating the Constitution continuously by his words and conducts, it said.

Pak prez sparks controversy, proposes one-state solution to Palestine issue

Pakistan President Arif Alvi has stirred a controversy by proposing a one-state solution to the Palestine problem in a significant departure from established policy, prompting the caretaker government to distance itself from the remarks and calls for his resignation. The presidential office made waves on Friday by advocating for a "one-state solution" to the Palestine issue. However, Alvi's office retracted the statement within a few hours, marking an abrupt about-face in the official position. The presidency initially released a statement attributing to President Alvi the suggestion of a "one-state solution" during a telephonic conversation with Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas. If the two-state solution was not acceptable to Israel, then the one-state solution was the only way where Jews, Muslims and [a] good percentage of Christians could live to exercise equal political rights, the original press release quoted Alvi as telling the Palestinian president. Almost all news TV

Pakistan Prez invites top election official for meet to set date for polls

Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Wednesday invited the top election official of the country for a meeting to set a date for the upcoming general elections. Alvi wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, citing the constitutional requirement for the president to decide a date for general elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly (NA). The National Assembly was dissolved on August 9 which makes it mandatory for the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold polls within 90 days after the dissolution. However, the ECP is set to delay the election in order to carry out delimitation in the light of the new census, which is also a constitutional requirement. The president wrote a letter to CEC for a meeting to be held "today or tomorrow to fix an appropriate date for general elections, according to the letter posted on platform X through the President's account. Alvi wrote that "by virtue of Article 48(5) of the Constitution of the .

Pak Prez Alvi sacks his secy amid controversy on signing of two key bills

Pakistan President Arif Alvi sacked his secretary on Monday, a day after he said he did not personally sign two key bills and had instructed his staff to return them unsigned within the stipulated time to make them ineffective. Pakistan's President Arif Alvi on Sunday denied that he signed the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023 after the local media reported that the president had signed the two bills which became laws. The President's Secretariat said in a statement that Alvi asked for the replacement of Secretary Waqar Ahmed whose services were no more required. In view of the definite statement of yesterday, President's Secretariat has written a letter to Principal Secretary to Prime Minister that the services of Mr Waqar Ahmed, Secretary to President, are no more required and are surrendered to the Establishment Division, immediately, the statement said. The president also asked that Humaira Ahmed, a BPS-22 officer of the Pakis

Pak's prez asks PM Sharif, oppn to propose caretaker premier's name by Sat

Pakistan's President Arif Alvi on Friday asked outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and outgoing Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz to propose a name for the appointment of caretaker premier by Saturday. The premier and opposition parties began rounds of meetings to pick a caretaker prime minister following the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9. As many as six names were discussed in the meeting on Thursday, the Dawn newspaper reported, adding that Sharif and Riaz were expected to meet again on Friday for another round of deliberations. In a letter written to Sharif and Riaz, the president recalled that he had dissolved the National Assembly on the prime minister's advice on August 9. Under Provision of Article 224 (1A) of the Constitution, the president appoints the caretaker prime minister in consultation with the [outgoing] prime minister and leader of the opposition in the outgoing national assembly," the letter said, adding that both t

Pak President Alvi dissolves National Assembly at PM Sharif's advice

Pakistan President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly on Wednesday at outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's advice, marking an end to the current government's tenure and paving the way for next general elections. The notification for the dissolution of the assembly was issued by the Aiwan-i-Sadr, which said the National Assembly was dissolved under Article 58 of the Constitution. Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif on Wednesday wrote to President Alvi and sought dissolution of the National Assembly three days before the end of its five-year constitutional term. President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly at midnight on Wednesday at outgoing Prime Minister Sharif's advice, the Dawn newspaper reported. With the dissolution of the lower house, the current government's tenure will also end prematurely. Later, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi said in a statement that the elected government has completed its five-year term, and his ministry had forwarded

Pak PM to formally tender advice to Prez Alvi to dissolve National Assembly

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was poised on Wednesday to formally recommend the dissolution of the National Assembly to President Arif Alvi to pave the way for the next general elections in the country. The five-year tenure of the 342-member lower house of Parliament was scheduled to expire on August 12. On the completion of the incumbent government's term, I would send a summary to the President of Pakistan for dissolution of the National Assembly by Wednesday and then an interim government will take over," Shehbaz said on Tuesday addressing a ceremony. President Alvi can either issue a notification forthwith to dissolve the assembly or can delay it for 48 hours and after that, it will stand dissolved. It is for the second time President Alvi is dissolving the assembly. First, in April of the previous year, then-Prime Minister Imran Khan advised its dissolution, which he followed but the move was subsequently overturned by the Supreme Court. A final meeting of the federa

Pak President Alvi returns bill seeking amendments to anti-corruption laws

Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday returned a bill to the parliament about changes in the anti-corruption laws with observation that a similar previous amendment was challenged in the Supreme Court and was still sub-judice. The bill called the National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed earlier this month by the parliament and it was sent to President Alvi for his endorsement to become an act. The bill not only empowers the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chief to transfer corruption cases involving allegations of less than Rs500 million to the relevant agency, authority or department but also to close down pending inquiries and investigations. "The president sent back the bill to Parliament under Article 75 (president's assent to bills) of the Constitution, the President's Office said in a tweet. It added that the President stated that previous amendments to the NAB law were already under hearing in the Supreme Court and any more changes in the ...

Pak President Alvi returns to Parl Bill curtailing chief justice's powers

Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Saturday returned to Parliament for reconsideration a bill aimed at clipping the powers of the chief justice, citing that the proposed legislation is beyond the jurisdiction of the legislative body and can be assailed as a "colourable legislation". Pakistan is witnessing a rift between the judiciary and the government after a three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Uma Ata Bandial on Tuesday fixed May 14 as the new date for elections to the Punjab Assembly and quashed the Election Commission's decision to extend the date of the poll from April 10 to October 8. The apex court's verdict was criticised by the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, which has refused to accept it. The government also is keen to curb the suo moto (on its own) powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Bandial. The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 was approved

Pak's Senate adopts bill to curtail powers of Chief Justice amid protest

Pakistan's Parliament on Thursday passed a bill to curb the powers of the chief justice of the Supreme Court regarding suo motu cases and the constitution of benches, in a significant move to rein in the top judiciary amid criticism by the Opposition. Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar introduced 'The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023' on Thursday in the Senate, a day after it was passed by the National Assembly - the lower house of the parliament. There were 60 votes in favour of the bill and 19 against it. The bill will now be presented to President Arif Alvi for his assent. If the president does not give his approval within 10 days, it will be deemed to have been given.

Pak President Alvi okays appointment of Asim Munir as Chief of Army Staff

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had sent a summary earlier in the day to President Alvi that Munir as COAS and Mirza as CJCSC, reported Geo News

Pakistan: President Arif Alvi administers oath to Pervez Elahi as Punjab CM

Pakistan's President Arif Alvi in the wee hours of Wednesday at the Aiwan-e-Sadar administered the oath to Pervez Elahi as the new Chief Minister of Punjab.Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed Pervez Elahi took oath as the Chief Minister of Punjab after the Supreme Court announced a verdict against the ruling of Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammed Mazari, reported Geo News.SC's three-member bench -- comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Muneeb Akhtar -- had initially ordered Punjab Governor Baligh ur Rehman to administer the oath to Elahi, however, he refused to perform his duties. Consequently, President Arif Alvi administered the oath.Following Governor Punjab's refusal, Elahi left for Islamabad late Tuesday night to take oath from Alvi as per the Supreme Court's order.According to Geo News, President Alvi had sent a special aircraft to bring Elahi to Islamabad for the oath-taking ceremony, reported Geo News.Earlier, the ..

Pak Prez Arif Alvi asks chief justice to probe 'regime change conspiracy'

Khan, ousted through a no-trust vote on April 10, has accused the US of orchestrating the fall of his government after his decision to follow an independent foreign policy over the issue of Ukraine

Pakistan: Sharif-led govt nominates Baligh-ur-Rehman as new Punjab Governor

Rehman had served as the state minister for education, interior and narcotics control when Nawaz Sharif became prime minister after the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz victory in the 2013 elections

Pak PM to unveil Cabinet, Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani to administer oath

The Cabinet was scheduled to take oath tonight at 8:30 pm on Monday; however, when the prime minister's office contacted the president's office, Alvi refused to administer oaths, Geo TV report

Pak cabinet swearing-in delayed after Prez Alvi refuses to administer oath

According to the sources familiar with the development, the new cabinet is now likely to take oath now on Tuesday or Wednesday, reported ARY News

Pak Prez removal, return of Nawaz Sharif as PM high on Opposition agenda

According to Orders of the Day' issued by the National Assembly Secretariat, the National Assembly's session for voting on the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan will take place on Saturday

Bill Gates aims to bolster foundation's ties with Pak, writes to President

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has written a letter to Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi wherein he thanked him for the warm welcome during his first visit to Pakistan in February