ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s outgoing President, Dr. Arif Alvi, leaves behind a legacy of political polarization, controversial ordinances and unflinching loyalty to his party leader, the jailed ex-premier Imran Khan, as termed by political parties and analysts on Friday, who called his over five-year tenure partial and contentious.
Dr. Alvi, who was sworn in as the 13th head of the Pakistani state on September 9, 2018, saw his five-year term end last year. However, he remained in office until Friday due to the absence of national and provincial legislatures, which, along with the Senate, constitute the electoral college for the presidency.
The presidential election is now set for today, Saturday, with the ruling alliance nominating the former president and co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari against Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai. The latter is backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) alliance for the coveted position.
A dentist by profession, Alvi entered politics in 1979 to participate in the elections on the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ticket from Karachi, but the contest was called off following a military coup by former army chief General Zia-ul-Haq. He later resigned from JI and became one of the founding members of PTI in 1996, eventually serving as its Sindh president.
Despite unsuccessful bids for a provincial seat in Karachi in the 1997 and 2002 elections, and PTI’s boycott of the 2008 national elections under another military ruler, General (r) Pervez Musharraf, Alvi’s political journey ascended. He secured a National Assembly seat from Karachi in 2013 on a PTI ticket and became an active parliament member. In 2018, he won against Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) heavyweight Dr. Farooq Sattar for a national seat as PTI gained a majority, enabling it to form a government at the center and in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
As one of Khan’s closest confidants, Alvi was nominated for the presidency due to his reputation as a hardworking legislator and a loyal party member, although the President’s role in Pakistan is largely ceremonial. While his party lauds him as “one of the best” presidents, his detractors criticize his tenure for allegedly disregarding the constitution.
“I believe he was one of the best presidents we have had in recent times, full of intellect and wisdom,” Zulfi Bukhari, a PTI member and Khan’s close friend, told Arab News. “I wish he had more in his power to help the cause of Imran Khan, democracy and rule of law in Pakistan.”
Conversely, Khurram Dastgir, a senior member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former federal minister, described Alvi’s presidency as “diminished, marred by contempt for the constitution and blatant partisanship.”
“He emasculated Pakistan’s democracy with recurring unconstitutional actions, favoring his party over his symbolic role as the federation’s unifier,” Dastgir commented, criticizing Alvi’s tenure as marred by incompetence and bad faith.
Opponents accuse the President of undertaking “illegal and unconstitutional steps” to serve his party and leader. Alvi dissolved the National Assembly in April 2022 on Khan’s advice, amid a looming no-confidence motion. The Supreme Court later reversed this decision, reinstating the assembly. However, Alvi refrained from administering the oath of office to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, opting for sick leave instead.
Following the recent general elections on February 8, Alvi delayed convening the National Assembly session for the swearing-in of newly elected legislators, attributing his decision to unresolved issues regarding the allocation of reserved seats to the PTI-SIC alliance.
“The President violated his oath and the constitution by taking these illegal and unconstitutional steps to please his party and the leader,” PPP secretary-information Faisal Karim Kundi told Arab News.
“President Alvi is leaving behind a legacy of political polarization as he failed to build consensus among political parties as the head of the state on major issues like the elections,” he continued, adding Alvi neither served his party nor the country well.
Dr. Farooq Adil, a former adviser to the President, noted that Alvi, utilized by his party to issue numerous ordinances, faced criticism for transforming the presidency into an ‘ordinance factory,’ bypassing parliament. Alvi promulgated over 70 ordinances during the PTI’s tenure from August 2018 to April 2022, detracting from the presidency’s stature.
 “The president failed to act like a true representative of the state,” he told Arab News. “Instead, he preferred Imran Khan’s loyalty over the national interests in many crucial matters.”
Adil said Alvi would be remembered as a loyal worker of Khan “who reduced the stature of the presidency through his partisan acts.”
Another controversy arose last August when Alvi denied signing two crucial bills, accusing his staff of overriding his authority.
“As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill, 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill, 2023 as I disagreed with these laws,” Alvi said in an X post after the government notified both of the bills had become laws.
The bills, which give the authorities more power to prosecute people for acts against the state and its military, were approved by both houses of parliament and sent to the president for his approval.
Alvi’s leader and ex-premier Khan was later charged and handed down 10-year in prison under an earlier version of the Official Secrets Act on charges of leaking state secrets to the public. Dozens of PTI workers and leaders are were also charged under the Army Act for their involvement in violence last year in May when people attacked military installations in different cities following Khan’s arrest in a graft case.
“He was a controversial president not only for the opposition, but also for his party as he preferred to clinging to power instead of resigning from his position when his colleagues and party workers were put behind bars,” Munizae Jahangir, political analyst and TV talk-show host, told Arab News.
However, she lauded his role for speaking up for women’s rights, especially their land rights.
“He won’t be remembered as independent and impartial president,” she added. “He even failed to make an effective gesture through his resignation during the state crackdown on his party.”