Presidential faux pas

Presidential faux pas – President Arif Alvi was always rated a lightweight and was believed to be more of a party loyalist than the democratically elected non-partisan head of the state. His unbecoming conduct yet again caused a minor scandal when he tweeted that he had never assented to two controversial bills seeking to amend the Army Act and the Official Secrets Act. Just a day earlier, these amendments had been announced as having been enacted into law. Quite expectedly these comments spurred a furore across the country with analysts having a field day. Though attempts were made by the elements controlling the country to deflect the issue yet this puerile admission exposed Pakistan to ridicule internationally harmfully portraying the mockery of rule of law in the country. Crucially, it betrayed the tragic fact that if the highest office in the land was seriously malfunctioning then what would be happening to other aspects of national governance. The controversy has also brought to light the contentious nature of the laws that the president had refused to endorse. It is unclear whether the state would review the controversial laws that are feared to be aimed at carrying out a fresh spate of repression in the country. The Weekender