President Alvi has played a dual role, says Attaullah Tarar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Attaullah Tarar has said that President of Pakistan Arfi Alvi was not capable of running office.

During the Power Politics with Adil Abbasi programme on HUM News, Tarar’s remarks followed a question from host Abbasi regarding President Alvi’s refusal to sign Official Secret Amendments Bill 2023.

Host Abbasi inquired about PML-N’s demand for Alvi’s resignation amid calls for an investigation, as multiple aspects of the situation were gradually emerging. Abbasi pressed Tarar on why PML-N views Alvi’s stance as an “after-thought.”

In response, Tarar stated that President Alvi personally signed the bill and is now attempting to offer lame excuses by blaming his staff for undermining his authority.

“We all know that returned bills are widely publicised across various media platforms, both digital and electronic. How come President Alvi could be so uninformed that he wasn’t aware of the bill that had not been returned,” Tarar said.

Read More: Legal experts say president’s non-assent invalidates Army Act and Official Secrets Act

Meanwhile, he further speculated that Alvi’s denials and shifting of blame might be due to pressure from his own political party. He hinted that someone from within the party, possibly alluding to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chief, could have expressed dissatisfaction over his decision.

“President Alvi has played a dual role, appeasing his own party’s interests as well as others. This duality exposes Alvi’s inability to effectively fulfill the responsibilities of his esteemed position. This signifies that Alvi is not fit to hold office,” the PML-N leader said.

Attaullah Tarar went on to discuss the legislative process, noting that if the President signs and returns a bill, it will automatically become law if not passed within 10 days.

Additionally, Tarar raised concerns about the consequences of returning bills based on verbal objections, implying potential implications for the structure of the state. He clarified that the return of a bill hinges on the President’s signature, not that of the Secretary.

Attaullah Tarar also said that President Alvi’s actions have exposed hypocrisy in his role as the country’s President.