President Alvi Calls for Respect for People’s Mandate

President Arif Alvi emphasized the importance of respecting the people’s mandate and enhancing political inclusion amidst protests by political parties, particularly the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), over alleged rigging in the February 8 polls.

Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad on Monday, President Alvi stressed that financial inclusion hinges on the participation of the people in the political process. He applauded the trust shown by millions of young voters in the democratic system of the country, cautioning that shaking their confidence could be detrimental to the nation’s interests.

Expressing concerns over slow decision-making and a lack of leadership, President Alvi underscored the necessity of competent leadership and timely decision-making for Pakistan’s progress and prosperity. He lamented the exclusion of competent individuals from politics and warned of consequences for sidelining the people from the development process.

President Alvi highlighted the potential of technology to enhance the electoral process, citing the utilization of internet voting (i-voting) for overseas Pakistanis and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) as examples. However, he regretted that the implementation of i-voting and EVMs was hindered by vested interests.

Touching on the suspension of social media services in Pakistan, President Alvi attributed it to the lack of intellectual capacity to handle criticism.

Last week, PTI leaders briefed President Alvi on alleged irregularities during the February 8 general elections. While not directly addressing the rigging allegations, the president suggested that the crisis could have been averted with the use of EVMs during the polls.