Would have suggested not to leave NA if Imran had asked: Alvi

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday said that former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan should not have left the National Assembly. However, he added that the move increased his popularity.

“If he (Imran) had asked me, I would have suggested not leaving the [national] assembly,” he said in an interview with a private TV channel.

He said that elections were the best method to communicate with the masses as they were engulfed in problems and see the polls as a ray of hope.

“If the opposition and the government sit down and talk, something constructive can come out for Pakistan,” he said and added that the government should focus on controlling inflation and other problems of the people.

Dr Alvi said that there was a state of “panic” on the political scene in Pakistan, saying that dialogue would cool the situation down. “[Finance Minister] Ishaq Dar also has a positive attitude towards dialogue,” he said after a meeting with the finance minister earlier in the day.

Talking about the meeting, the president said that Dar gave different suggestions about the imports whereas he also proposed measures to save electricity.

He said that the new military leadership was serious about being apolitical. “Now all the responsibility falls on politicians.

They should get serious about working together so that problems can be solved,” he added.

The president said that when consultations about the appointment of army chief can take place in London, then there was no harm in taking advice from people in the country, referring to his meeting with Imran Khan before the all-important appointment.

“Consulting with everyone is better, so deadlock can be avoided which creates problems,” he added.

Dr Alvi said that he was convinced that early polls were the best solution to the current crisis. “People should have confidence that the government reflects their mandate. Whoever wins should have the mandate of the masses,” he said.