Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf never invited military to intervene in politics: ex-Prez Arif Alvi

Karachi: Arif Alvi, former Pakistan President and a top leader of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan's party, has said that his party never invited the military to intervene in politics but admitted that it was the only sta­k­e­holder with whom a meaningful dialogue was possible as it has the power to decide.

Alvi made these remarks while speaking to reporters on Tuesday outside the Karachi Press Club.

While being critical of the military’s role in politics, he said that it was the only sta­k­e­holder with whom meaningful dialogue was possible.

“We never invited the military to intervene in politics,” he said in response to a question.

“But Imran Khan wants to talk to those who have the power to decide. Do you feel that those who have come to power through Form 47s have anything to offer? Holding talks with them would be fruitless," he said.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party believes that the Shehbaz Sharif-led government stole its mandate in the February polls and the results were changed in Form 47s to benefit the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

“Those who want to unite and struggle for the restoration and supremacy of the Consti­tution should do that. But talks should only be held with those who can offer something and bring something credible to the table,” Alvi said.

When asked if such an exe­r­cise would further wea­k­en the “broken political system”, he said all this was being done in an effort “to fix the same broken political system”.

The 74-year-old former president also downplayed comparisons of the current political situation with the events preceding the fall of Dhaka, saying that “it’s never about the whole institution but a few individuals”.

In the same breath, however, he stressed the need to move quickly, saying that the prevailing situation was “pushing everyone towards a dead-end”, which could encourage someone to make the wrong decision that could set off a powder keg.

He said for the last two years, Khan has been calling for talks because he believes that dialogue should be held.

"But [on such proposals] we are insulted. If you don’t want to talk due to your ego and anger, it’s your choice. It was Imran Khan who sacrificed his ego and always called for dialogue. But if these talks aren’t held, it would further push everyone to a dead end.” He said that successive governments had tried their best to cover the “mistakes” of the past, and went on to say that Imran Khan was one of the most loyal leaders in history, who had “kept national secrets” and “covered mistakes” despite facing charges as serious as treason.

“Whatever mistakes are made, civilians take the blame. Imran Khan is the man who has kept a veil on so many national secrets. Yet, he’s facing cases of treason,” the former president regretted.

He also warned that the economy would never become stable and people would prefer to invest outside the country if political instability prevailed, adding that only popular support could bring stability on both, the political and economic fronts.