ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Dr. Arif Alvi confirmed on Saturday he was trying to bring down political tensions in the country by helping political actors iron out their differences over key issues, reported the local media, though he acknowledged there had been no breakthrough in the “backdoor” negotiations.
The president issued the statement during a media interaction at the Governor House, Punjab, in the eastern city of Lahore.
Political temperature has remained high in Pakistan since former prime minister Imran Khan was ousted from power in a no-confidence vote in April. Khan described the downfall of his administration as a result of a foreign conspiracy while questioning the legitimacy of the new coalition government. He also held political rallies across the country to demand early elections in Pakistan.
President Alvi, who is also a leader of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, said he tried to facilitate negotiations to discuss the possibility of early elections, though he added that his efforts had “failed.”
“I am trying to reduce tensions and bring all political parties to negotiating table to save democracy from derailing and improve situation,” The Express Tribune quoted him as saying.
He acknowledged that his constitutional responsibilities did not require him to mediate among various power centers while explaining he was playing that role as the supreme commander of the armed forces.
The president also admitted he was striving to reduce tensions between the top leader of his party, who leveled new accusations against top military officials since a recent gun attack on his anti-government protest march, and state “institutions that matter.”
“Backdoor talks are under way with the institutions that matter to sort out the differences (among the players),” Dawn reported him as saying. “If the talks succeed, they will be in the public domain. I am playing the role of a mediator as the supreme commander of the armed forces, but I am not a broker.”
Asked about the selection of the new army chief, Alvi said the constitution did not allow consultation over the appointment in an oblique reference to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s reported conversations over the issue with his brother Nawaz Sharif in London.
It may be recalled that Pakistan’s outgoing army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa was also in Lahore on Saturday where he interacted with officers and soldiers of the Lahore Corps and Pakistan Rangers Punjab.
However, there were no reports of any high-profile meetings behind closed doors in the city.
President Alvi acknowledges failure of ‘backdoor’ talks to bring political tensions down in Pakistan
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President Alvi acknowledges failure of ‘backdoor’ talks to bring political tensions down in Pakistan
- The president says he was facilitating negotiations as the supreme commander of the armed forces of the country
- He says the constitution doesn’t allow consultation over army chief’s appointment in reference to PM’s London visit
Suicide bomber kills at least five at wedding in northwest Pakistan
- Attack took place in Dera Ismail Khan, targeting the home of a local peace committee member
- Peace committees are community-based groups that report militant activity to security forces
PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber killed at least five people and wounded 10 others after detonating explosives at a wedding ceremony in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, officials said, in an attack that underscored persistent militant violence in the country’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The blast took place at the home of a local peace committee member in Dera Ismail Khan district, where guests had gathered for a wedding, police and emergency officials said.
Peace committees in the region are informal, community-based groups that work with security forces to report militant activity and maintain order, making their members frequent targets of attacks.
“A blast occurred near Qureshi Moor in Dera Ismail Khan. Authorities have recovered five bodies and shifted 10 injured to hospital,” said Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the provincial Rescue 1122 emergency service, adding that the rescue operation was ongoing.
Police said the attacker blew himself up inside the house during the ceremony and that the bomber’s head had been recovered, confirming it was a suicide attack.
Several members of the local peace committee were present at the time, raising fears the toll could rise.
District Police Officer Sajjad Ahmed Sahibzada said authorities had launched an investigation into the incident, while security forces sealed off the area.
Militant attacks have surged in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the Taliban returned to power in neighboring
Afghanistan in 2021, with the administration in Islamabad blaming the Afghan government for “facilitating” cross-border attacks targeting Pakistani civilians and security forces. However, Kabul has repeatedly denied the allegation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also seen frequent intelligence-based operations by security forces targeting suspected militants.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack.
