ISLAMABAD: In a bid to calm rising political tensions across the country, President Dr. Arif Alvi on Wednesday urged all stakeholders in Pakistan to “think again” and play their part in defusing the volatile situation.
Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the country’s powerful military establishment have been on a warpath since May 9, when nationwide protests broke out after Khan was arrested on graft charges.
Incensed after violent mobs attacked military installations, torched buses, and government buildings, and ransacked the residence of a senior army official in Lahore, Pakistan Army said it would try the “arsonists” under military laws. Meanwhile, former PM Khan alleges Pakistan’s intelligence agencies orchestrated the violence to justify a brutal crackdown against the party.
“I have urged all stakeholders to ‘Think Again’, and have even gifted a book of the same title by Adam Grant to many of them,” Alvi, who is also an integral member of Khan’s PTI, wrote in a letter obtained by Arab News.
The Pakistani president urged everyone to learn from the “remarkable peace” achieved by Iran and Saudi Arabia through their act of restoring diplomatic relations.
“A great achievement of their leaders, kudos to HH Mohammed bin Salman and Irani leadership along with the positive role played by our friend China,” he said, adding that the leaders of all three countries would be remembered in history for ending “decades of animosity.”
The president said that based on his experiences, no political party in Pakistan is anti-state or comprises of traitors.
“I have been urging all that we desperately need to find a solution,” Alvi wrote. “I am confident that Inshallah, better sense will prevail and with the spirit of forgiveness, we will succeed in sorting out our disputes.”
The development also takes place a few hours after Khan, fearing re-arrest, wrote on Twitter that police have surrounded his Zaman Park residence in Lahore. In previous public addresses, Khan has frequently accused the Punjab government of plotting to assassinate him in a police operation at his residence. The Punjab government has vehemently denied the allegations.
Several key leaders of the PTI, including the party’s Sindh president Ali Haider Zaidi, former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, and Maleeka Bokhari were arrested on Wednesday. Other leaders of the party, such as Amir Mehmood Kiani and Sanjay Gangwani, announced on Wednesday that they were quitting the PTI.
The confrontation between Pakistan’s military and Khan’s PTI, arguably the largest political party in the country, comes at a time when Pakistan is reeling from an economic crisis. With decades-high inflation and rapidly depleting foreign exchange reserves, the South Asian country is struggling to attract external financing to avoid default.
