— Says COAS statement of not allowing anyone destabilise system is in line with Constitution
— Doesn’t agree with Khan’s view that army shouldn’t be neutral
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday took an independent stance over national issues contrary to the stance adopted by his party chief and former prime minister Imran Khan, saying he was not an advocate of Imran Khan.
“[The] COAS remarks that he won’t allow any country, force or group to destabilise pakistan are totally constitutional … The army is neutral and should remain so that what constitution says,” Alvi told in an interview aired on a private TV channel.
Asked his comments were contrary to the stance of Imran Khan who believes army should not remain neutral, Ali said, “I am not an advocate of Imran Khan. He himself should explain why he doesn’t want to see the Army as neutral”.
He emphasised that the army’s role in the constitution is “clear”, maintaining that the army chief’s appointment would be made as per the constitution.
“It would be better if the name [of new army chief] is suggested after consultations,” he said backing the idea of holding extensive consultations in order to arrive a consensus.
Alvi has been constantly backing the idea of grand dialogue between the political parties as he believes issues can be resolved through dialogue.
Not convinced of US conspiracy theory
President Arif Alvi also raised his suspicions regarding PTI’s alleged US conspiracy and called for an investigation in to the matter as he wasn’t “convinced” of the theory.
“The letter [foreign cypher] has been sent to Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and an investigation should be made into these allegations,” Alvi said.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan had brandished a “threat letter”, which was the cypher, on March 27 at a public gathering before his ouster, claiming that his government had been threatened by the US and the then-opposition was involved in the conspiracy – a claim rejected by the government as well as the United States.
Commenting on the former prime minister, the president said Khan became frustrated after PTI’s ouster in April, asserting that Imran Khan should be held answerable for his current statements.
“It was Khan’s decision to boycott the assembly proceeding […] had he asked me, I would have suggested something else,” Alvi said.
Alvi cited two major issues at hand, including the economic crisis and general elections, while endorsing the idea of a dialogue among all stakeholders.
The president clarified that he wasn’t a “broker”; however, would still want the leaders to reach a consensus on the dwindling economy.
