President Alvi of Pakistan expresses remorse for “competent people” being removed from politics

ISLAMABAD: In a subtle allusion to the imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan, Pakistan President Dr. Arif Alvi expressed sadness on Monday over the removal of “competent people” from politics and stressed the need to preserve respect for the popular mandate and guarantee political participation. Before Khan appointed Alvi as the nation’s president in 2018, the politician was a prominent member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Khan, who is incarcerated after his conviction in corruption charges, has also been prohibited from running for office and has a ten-year ban on holding any public office.
Speaking at Hosting Business Net 2024’s third edition, a platform that promotes digital transformation and financial inclusion while honoring the contributions of businesses in this industry, the president emphasized the crucial connection between financial inclusion and political engagement.

“Without public participation in politics, financial inclusion is impossible, said Alvi. He applauded the faith that millions of young people had placed in the political process.
The president, who emphasized the need of adhering to directives, blamed Pakistan’s social media websites’ shutdown on a lack of intellectual ability to withstand criticism.
He bemoaned, “It is regrettable that competent people are being ousted from the political arena,” making a subtly suggestive allusion to former prime minister Khan’s imprisonment.

Politicians, different parties, and Pakistani institutions were urged by Alvi last Saturday to “respect and recognise this huge mandate of citizens,” ostensibly meaning that they should permit Khan’s PTI to form the government as independent candidates, with the majority of the party’s 92 National Assembly victories.
Members of the commercial and diplomatic communities were present during the occasion.

The president praised the Pakistani people as a dynamic people endowed with an abundance of natural riches, but he also said that the nation needs to make investments in their capacity building and intellectual advancement.
The president used the example of China, where investments in health and education have allowed millions of people to escape poverty. According to him, political inclusion of the populace was a prerequisite for financial inclusion.
He believed that electronic voting machines (EVMs) and internet voting (i-voting) should be made possible by technology. Millions of young voters who had shown their faith in the democratic system were also praised by the president.