In what appears to be a rejection of former PM Imran Khan’s statement questioning the patriotism of some generals, President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday said that there should be no doubt about the patriotism of jawans to generals. “All chiefs of army staff who had been appointed in Pakistan were patriotic,” he added. The president called upon the people of Pakistan, institutions and media to desist from stirring doubts and controversies on this matter. He further said that as the president of Pakistan, all the institutions of the state were dear to him, including the current government, as it was the responsibility of the president to take ownership of all institutions. The President made these remarks while talking to Peshawar-based journalists, at Governor’s House, according to a press release issued by the President’s Media Wing. While replying to a question, the president said that amidst the politically polarized and charged atmosphere, he did not want to create any controversy about any institution or personality, and airing of any comments or statements out of reference and context should be avoided. Replying to a question, he said that behind the scenes, he was endeavouring to play some mediatory role between the stakeholders to defuse the political polarization, however, he would not dilate upon to “to let the things mature”. He said that the sole purpose of his efforts was to understand and remove misgivings and misunderstandings amongst the stakeholders to bring them closer to each other and make efforts to find a middle way on major issues in the greater national interest.
