Arguably, President Arif Alvi has fuelled political uncertainty in the country in a big way. His decision to unilaterally announce April 9, 2023 as the date for elections to KPK and Punjab Assemblies has caused constitutional chaos in the country.

He appears to have violated the constitution by overtly undermining the role of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and governors of KPK and Punjab.

In other words, he has openly trampled the constitution in the name of law and constitutionalism. Little does he appreciate the fact that his party (Tehrik-e-Insaf) chairman Imran Khan lost power last year within the framework of country’s constitution.

There is a vital constitutional role for the President that always requires him to maintain strictest political neutrality. Unfortunately, however, he has trespassed into the Executive’s domain.

Moreover, he has relegated his status or lowered his stature so much so that he’s now being openly described by many as “spokesman for PTI”.

It is a fact that democracy is in retreat in the country for quite some time. He is, therefore, required to act as democracy’s conscience, not as one of Imran Khan’s deputies.

He must not lose sight of the fact that his predecessor, the late Mamnoon Husain of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), had not crossed the red line in his entire tenure as President of Pakistan (2013-2018) even in the midst of the political turmoil that beset his top leadership.

Munir Khan (Lahore)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023