Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday expressed regret on the expulsion of "competent people" from politics and the need to uphold respect for public mandate and ensure political inclusion, in a veiled reference to former prime minister Imran Khan who is in jail.
Alvi was a senior member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party before Khan made him the country's President in 2018.
Khan, who is in jail after being convicted in corruption cases, has been barred from contesting elections and was also disqualified from holding any public office for 10 years.
Addressing the third edition of Hosting Business Net 2024, a platform aimed at promoting financial inclusion and digital transformation whilst acknowledging the contributions of companies within this sector, the president highlighted the integral link between financial inclusion and political participation.
"Financial inclusion is unattainable without the political engagement of the populace, Alvi remarked. He commended the confidence exhibited by millions of young voters in the democratic process.
Emphasising the importance of respecting mandates, the president attributed the closure of social media websites in Pakistan to a deficiency in intellectual capacity to handle criticism.
"It is regrettable that competent people are being ousted from the political arena,” he lamented, he said in a veiled reference to jailed former prime minister Khan.
Last Saturday, Alvi urged urged politicians, various parties, and Pakistani institutions to "respect and recognise this huge mandate of citizens," apparently indicating that they should allow Khan's PTI to form the government as independent candidates, mostly supported by the party who have won 92 in the National Assembly.
The event was attended by members of the business and diplomatic community. The president said that the Pakistani people were a vibrant nation that had been blessed with abundant natural resources, adding that the country needed to invest in their intellectual development and capacity building.
The president cited the example of China which had lifted millions of its people out of poverty by investing in their education and health. He said that financial inclusion was not possible without the political inclusion of the people.
He opined that technology should be utilised for internet voting (i-voting) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The president also hailed millions of young voters who had expressed their confidence in the democratic system.
