President Arif Alvi won’t administer the oath to the new prime minister because a successor will be elected before the premier’s election.
Members of the newly elected National Assembly (NA) might take their oath on February 26, three days before the deadline to convene the house for its first session, with a similar ceremony happening the next day.
The members, who have been elected for both houses, would no longer be members of the provincial assembly if they took the oath in the national legislature.
Parliamentary insiders informed The News on Monday evening that they must conduct the election for the Senate’s 53 members, chairman/deputy chairman, and subsequently the president of the country, before March 8. They emphasised the limited time available for organising the presidential poll.
The sources said that if the election of the president is held a week earlier, incumbent Arif Alvi will not administer the oath but the new president will. The sources pointed out that once the members of the national and provincial assemblies take the oath, they will be eligible to cast their vote first for Senate elections.
People across Pakistan are showing support for their Kashmiri brothers and sisters’ fight against human rights abuses in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) by observing Kashmir Solidarity Day on Monday.
The Ministry of Kashmir Affairs issued a press release, stating that they have made all necessary arrangements to observe Kashmir Solidarity Day.
The ministry is organising solidarity walks all over the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In Islamabad, a rally on Constitution Avenue showed support for the Kashmiri people.
A minute of silence was also observed at 9:30am to pay homage to the martyrs of Kashmir.
“Posters and billboards have been displayed around important Avenves, airports, and railway stations to highlight the plight of Kashmiri people,” said the statement.
Additionally, educational institutions across the country have arranged debate and declamation contests along with essay writing competitions for the occasion.
President Dr Arif Alvi has said that the right to self-determination is a cardinal principle of international law, but regrettably, the Kashmiri people have not been able to exercise this inalienable right.
In all honesty, 2023 was more like a crazy roller coaster than a democratic process when it comes to Pakistani politics. Here are some of the significant events that happened this year:
Assemblies dissolved
On January 14, 2023, the provincial assembly of Punjab was dissolved while on January 16, 2023, Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was dissolved as former Prime Minister Imran Khan was pushing for early national elections.
May 9
On May 9, 2023, former prime minister and founder chairman of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan was submitting his biometric data for a court appearance when paramilitary forces broke down a window inside the court to get to apprehend him.
The dramatic and sudden arrest of the former cricket star turned leader resulted in violent clashes between supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and law enforcement agencies protests to mark the arrest of the former Prime Minister turned into riots.
Several military installations, including GHQ and the Lahore corps commander’s official residence, were attacked across the country within hours of Imran Khan’s detention.
May 9, termed a “black day” by the Pakistani state, ended up provoking a harsh military crackdown on Khan’s party.
PTI Dismantled
Thousands of PTI members, including many women, were rounded up and arrested after May 9 riots.
More than two dozen members of PTI resigned from the politics following the protests.
Notable figures like Shireen Mazari, Asad Umer, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Fawad Chaudhry, Maleeka Bokhari, Abrar ul Haq, Murad Ras, Ali Haider Zaidi, Imran Islamil, Usman Dar, Farrukh Habib, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, Andleeb Abbas, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Shaukat Tarin and others either left PTI or quit politics.
Imran Khan Jailed
Police arrested Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Lahore on August 5, 2023, after a court sentenced him to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts, potentially barring the opposition leader from contesting an upcoming election.
On September 26, 2023, Imran Khan was shifted to the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi from Attock prison, a day after the Islamabad High Court ordered authorities to relocate him to the high-security jail.
Qazi Faez Isa
On September 17, 2023, Justice Qazi Faez Isa was sworn in as the 29th chief justice of Pakistan.
A ceremony was held at Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad during which President Arif Alvi administered the oath of office. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir were also present.
Justice Isa was accompanied by his wife, Sarina Isa, while he was taking oath.
Imran Riaz ‘safely’ returns
On the evening of May 11, 2023, police arrested Imran Riaz Khan, a former anchor with the privately owned broadcaster Express News and host of a YouTube channel with over three million subscribers.
Imran Riaz Khan, often called Imran Riaz, was trying to flee the country over fears of his arrest. At the time, authorities accused him of inciting people to violence through his reporting.
He was said to have been freed a few days later, but there was no trace of him and police denied keeping him in custody.
On September 25, 2023, his lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq took to X (former Tiwtter) and posted a picture of Imran Riaz, after his return, stating that the recovery took a long time due to “countless difficulties, a weak judiciary” and the ineffectiveness of the Constitution. He also shared a photo of him with Khan.
The rift between Zardari and Bilawal
On November 23, 2023, the former president of Pakistan and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari‘s father, Asif Ali Zardari, during an exclusive interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News’ program “Capital Talk”, said that Bilawal is “inexperienced” and that it would take some time for him to gain more exposure, on Thursday.
“Bilawal is much more talented than I am, but he isn’t experienced,” he said.
On November 24, 2023, in a seeming act of defiance to his father, Bilawal changed his profile picture on X on Friday afternoon, to a photo with his mother Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister and head of the PPP till her assassination in 2017.
PPP denied all the claims of a rift between the father-son duo.
Afghan Refugees Repatriation
On October 3, 2023, Pakistan’s caretaker government announced it would carry out mass deportations — known under domestic law as an Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan — asking all concerned to leave the country before 1 November. Although the plan purported to apply to all foreigners residing in the country illegally, it appears designed to target Afghans, millions of whom have sought refuge in Pakistan over the years.
As of December 29, 2023, the total number of allegedly illegal Afghans who left Pakistan reached 453,480 and the process is still underway.
Nawaz Sharif Returns
On October 21, 2023, Pakistan’s thrice-elected former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan, ending four years of self-imposed exile in London.
Nawaz Sharif was disqualified when the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) announced its decision on July 28, 2017, in the Panama Papers case. After that, Nawaz Sharif and three of his children were referred to an accountability court, which was ordered to file corruption cases against Sharif’s family within six weeks.
In July 2018, the expelled prime minister was imprisoned for 10 years in the Avenfield properties corruption case, an assets-beyond-means trial.
In the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case, the PML-N supremo was sentenced to seven years in jail on December 24, 2018. Nawaz Sharif was taken to Adiala jail in this case, and then he was shifted to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail on the very next day. He was also fined Rs1.5 billion and US$25 million in this case.
The former prime minister was released from jail in March 2019. After that, the Lahore High Court (LHC) allowed Nawaz Sharif to go to London for treatment for fast-depleting platelet levels, and then he left for London in November 2019.
Elections Date Announced
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on November 3, 2023, that 8th February 2024 is the poll date for the General Elections for the National Assembly of Pakistan and Provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The date was announced by the President House in a statement following a meeting between the top election officials and President Alvi, hours after the election commission lawyer told the Supreme Court that elections will be held on February 11.
PTI New Chairman
On December 2, 2023, The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) on Saturday elected Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as the new chairman in the intra-party elections held on the directives of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Gohar won the chairman’s position unopposed.
The change was forced on the party after the Election Commission of Pakistan warned the PTI last month that it risked losing its emblem – a cricket bat – unless an internal ballot was held for party officers.
Election symbols are crucial in a country where the adult literacy rate is 58 percent, according to World Bank data.
Baloch Long March
Demanding the release of all “missing persons” and an end to “extrajudicial killing” in Balochistan under the leadership of activist Dr Mahrang Baloch and Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), the march started in Turbat, Balochistan, on December 6 after the alleged extrajudicial killing of 24-year-old Balach Baloch.
According to BYC, when the march reached the capital, the city administration didn’t allow them to protest in front of the press club. Maharng Baloch said in her live video from the Facebook page of BYC that Islamabad police arrested 300 male protesters, eight women, and 10 children.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) claimed on Sunday that party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will become the president of Pakistan whether the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) or Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) win the upcoming elections on February 8 next year.
Currently, Dr. Arif Alvi is the head of the state under Article 44 of the Constitution, which allows the president to work in the absence of provincial and national assemblies, which were dissolved early this year in January and August, respectively.
Alvi is the fourth head of state to complete his full term. The previous three presidents who completed their five-year terms were the fifth president Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry (1973–1988), the 11th president Asif Ali Zardari (2008–2013), and the 12th president Mamnoon Hussain (2013–2018).
In an interview, JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah said that if Fazlur Rehman can be the head of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), then he can also be the president of the country as well.
Hafiz Hamdullah also criticised PML-N and PPP for “keeping an eye” on Balochistan.
“Father-son and father-daughter duos keep an eye on Balochistan’s [politics], let’s see what results it bears [in future],” he said.
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against President Arif Alvi for misconduct and failing to carry out his constitutional duties by Ghulam Murtaza under Article 184 section 3.
The President, Secretary, and the Ministry of Law have been made respondents in the petition.
In the petition, the Supreme Court has been requested to carry out an inquiry into President Arif Alvi’s conduct, summoning him after investigations, and subsequently removing him from office.
The petitioner argues that Dr Arif Alvi misused his powers as the president and insulted the office of the president. He states that the president belongs to the entire nation and not just one political party.
The petitioner alleges that Dr Arif Alvi is guilty of unconstitutional action of having misused his office. He contends that the president neglected his constitutional responsibility, adding that it was the president’s job to give the date for the next general elections, but he failed to do so.
The petitioner argues that the president was also guilty of illegally dissolving the assembly. He contends that Dr Arif Alvi did not ensure the implementation of the Constitution under Article 5 of the Constitution.
The petitioner has requested the court to stop Dr Arif Alvi from working as the president and action be taken against him for alleged violations of the constitution and law.
Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Murtaza Solangi, has said that President Dr. Arif Alvi should represent all political parties in accordance with the law and the constitution, to foster unity in the country.
Talking to the media on Sunday, Solangi said that the President’s role was not limited to one party, urging him to speak on behalf of all political parties.
“If the president continues to speak for one political party, it would undermine his own credibility,” he said.
Highlighting the essence of democracy as a platform for dialogue, Solangi dismissed concerns over complaints and grievances, stating that every party and individual had the right to voice their concerns at appropriate forums including courts and the election commission.
As regards the upcoming elections, Solangi pledged the caretaker government’s full cooperation and assistance to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in accordance with the law and the constitution.
He commended the competence and the sense of responsibility shown by the current ECP management, noting that they adhered to the action plan outlined for the elections.
The people of Pakistan will determine the country’s future course on February 8, 2024, a date slated for the elections, he added.
President Arif Alvi has penned a letter to Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, expressing the concerns of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regarding the “erosion of fundamental rights and a level playing field for all political parties” in the upcoming general elections.
This communication follows the announcement of elections being held on February 8, 2024, stirring political activity across major party lines.
The details mentioned on X (formerly Twitter) account state, “President Dr. Arif Alvi has conveyed to the Care-taker Prime Minister, Mr. Anwar ul Haq Kakar, the concerns of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the erosion of fundamental rights and level playing field for all political parties.”
He also forwarded a letter addressed to him by the General Secretary of PTI, Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, to the Prime Minister containing the concerns of the party.
In his letter, the President stated that it was of utmost importance that the caretaker government under the Prime Minister’s leadership made efforts as a neutral entity to provide a level playing field for all political parties.
President Dr. Arif Alvi has conveyed to the Care-taker Prime Minister, Mr. Anwar ul Haq Kakar, the concerns of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the erosion of fundamental rights and level playing field for all political parties.
“In this context, it was reassuring to hear your recent statements whereby you stated that it was the caretaker government’s policy that all registered political parties should have equal rights and opportunities to contest the forthcoming elections”, he wrote.
He said that “there was a resonance in Pakistan that for free, fair and credible elections, all political parties and leaders had right to contest and it was up to people to decide.”
In his letter, President Alvi said that he was constitutionally “duty-bound, along with the prime minister and all institutions, to protect the rights of the citizens”.
He said that in his missive, the PTI secretary general had conveyed the party’s concerns and allegations regarding the “erosion of fundamental rights, with particular reference to enforced disappearances, forced conversions of political loyalties, absence of level playing field for major political parties, crackdown on media and mistreatment of female political activists through prolonged illegal detentions”.
In response to the concerns, PM Kakar has offered assurances that individuals affiliated with PTI Chairman Imran Khan, currently incarcerated in connection with the cipher case and convicted in the Toshakhana case, will be permitted to participate in the upcoming polls.
Former Finance Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Ishaq Dar has called on President Arif Alvi to resign from his position after Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa’s remarks in the election delay case.
“It would be suitable for the president to step down voluntarily as his constitutional tenure ended,” said the PML-N stalwart while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Jirga’ on Sunday.
The CJP had said that President Alvi violated the constitution by not announcing a date for the general elections.
Qazi Faez Isa passed the observation while hearing petitions seeking general elections in 90 days after the dissolution of assemblies in country.
“Following the Supreme Court’s remarks, it would be better if the president resigns voluntarily,” Dar said.
While discussing general elections, the former finance czar said that they could be further delayed due to the delimitation process.
However, he said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) saved time in carrying out the process to draw new boundaries.
Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, issued a firm warning to the country’s media during a hearing of multiple pleas seeking timely elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the assemblies.
“If media raises suspicions about the elections, they will be committing a violation of the constitution,” he remarked, adding that journalists cannot simply grab a microphone and say there are doubts about the elections.
“An anchor or reporter cannot raise doubts about whether the elections will happen or not,” he stated.
Faez Isa warned that if rumors or speculations are spread about the elections, action will be taken by PEMRA.
The head of the apex court stressed that, “Media outlets should know that they do not have the right to lie. Media freedom has been granted in the constitution.”
He further said that if a media person has suspicions about the elections, he will not tell the public, but he can tell his wife.
The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the government to ensure the conduct of general elections on February 8, a day after President Arif Alvi and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja unanimously agreed on the aforementioned date during a meeting held at the President’s House.
A three-member bench headed by CJP Isa and comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan heard the case.
The court, in its order, mentioned that the notification of the general election date has also been issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), stating that no party has any objection to holding elections on February 8.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa asked everyone in the courtroom as well as the Attorney-General for Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan, if they had any objection to the election date, but all replied in the negative.
“After all the requirements are fulfilled, the Election Commission should announce the election schedule,” CJP Isa said. The chief justice said: “Elections will definitely be held on February 8, God willing.”
President Arif Alvi announced on Thursday that the general elections will take place in the country on February 8, 2024.
The X (former Twitter) account tweeted, “On today’s order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan, Mr. Sikandar Sultan Raja, along with the Attorney General for Pakistan, Mr. Mansoor Usman Awan, and four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan, came to meet President Dr. Arif Alvi, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, to discuss the date for holding the forthcoming General Elections in the country. The President heard about the progress the ECP has made in delimitation and for elections.”
On today’s order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan, Mr. Sikandar Sultan Raja, along with the Attorney General for Pakistan, Mr. Mansoor Usman Awan, and four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan, came to meet pic.twitter.com/1uXi7v7Y7N
— Election Commission of Pakistan (OFFICIAL) (@ECP_Pakistan) November 2, 2023
The development comes hours after Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa directed the ECP to confer with Alvi on the poll date after the electoral body said that elections would be held on February 11.
“Let the ECP meet with the President of Pakistan today and the date for holding general elections in Pakistan be appointed,” the top judge said in a written order, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com.
He directed AGP Awan to arrange the meeting, provide Alvi with the court order and be available to render assistance. “We expect that the matter of appointing a date for holding general elections shall be settled, and this court will be informed tomorrow (Nov 3),” Justice Isa added.
The order was issued after a three-judge bench comprising the CJP, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan and Justice Athar Minallah heard a set of petitions, calling for holding elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures.
