• Urges caretaker govt to give all political parties equal opportunities to contest polls
• Forwards letter addressed to him by PTI general secretary

ISLAMABAD: Presi­dent Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday conveyed to caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar the concerns raised by the PTI about the “erosion of fundamental rights” and urged the caretaker government to provide level playing field to all political parties in the run-up to general elections early next year.

In his letter to the premier, Dr Alvi wrote it was “reassuring to hear your recent statements whereby you stated that it was caretaker government’s policy that all registered political parties should have equal rights and opportunities to contest the forthcoming elections”.

The president said democracy was the only viable way forward for the state and people of Pakistan, the essence of which lay in giving people the right to partake in political activities and to be able to voice their opinions through free media.

He said there was a resonance in Pakistan that for free, fair and credible elections, all political parties and leaders had the right to contest and it was up to the people to decide their ruler.

President Alvi — who belongs to the PTI and has been accused of favouring the party many times — also forwarded a letter sent to him by PTI General Secretary Omar Ayub Khan.

Earlier this month, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and President Alvi agreed on Feb 8, 2024, as the date for general elections — an announcement that has stirred activity in the camps of major political parties.

The PTI has called for free, fair, transparent polls and demanded that level playing field should be provided to all political parties.

The party has alleged that it is being stopped from carrying out political activities and several of its leaders are incarcerated following violence in the country on May 9.

In his letter, Dr Alvi said, “The president of Pakistan represents the unity of the republic as head of state under Article 41 of the Constitution of Pakistan and is, therefore, duty-bound, along with the prime minister and all institutions, to protect the rights of the citizens, as enshrined in the Constitution.”

Dr Alvi said it was for this very reason that he was sending the letter containing PTI’s allegations, which he said had also been debated in the media, regarding increasing cases of enforced disappearances of individuals with known political affiliation. He said such instances became a matter of concern when resulted in converting political associations and loyalties.

He said the issue became sensitive when female political workers were also subjected to prolonged detentions or frequent rearrests after court relief.

Article 4 of the Constitution, he said, clearly stipulated that it was the inalienable right of every citizen to be treated according to law, while Article 17 said that every citizen should have the right to form associations and become a member of a political party.

Besides, Article 19 stated that every citizen should have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, he said, adding: “The prime minister, being the head of government, may therefore kindly look into these issues.”

The PTI is not the only party complaining about level playing field ahead of general elections. The rivalry between PML-N and PPP has also come to the fore once again, with the latter accusing the Sharifs’ party of having a hidden alliance with the caretaker government.

The PPP also recently announced that it was open to forming an electoral alliance with the PTI to counter former ally PML-N.

The PML-N and PPP were coalition partners in the previous government and had joined hands to remove PTI Chairman Imran Khan as prime minister in April last year.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2023