Fida Hussnain
Former President and PTI leader Arif Alvi arrived at Services Hospital to inquire after party leader Mehmood ur Rasheed but the police did not allow the meeting, the sources within the hospital said on Monday.
The sources said that as former President Arif Alvi reached the hospital to meet Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed, the police informed the former president that Mehmood-ur-Rasheed was in judicial custody and a meeting could not be arranged without the permission of the relevant authorities. They said, “Former President Arif Alvi asked the police that morally, there should be permission; if you facilitate the meeting, thank you, but I do not want to take any favor from the Punjab Police,”.
He also said, “Mehmood-ur-Rasheed is an asset to PTI, and the entire party stands with him in this difficult time,”.
Later, talking to the reporters, Dr. Arif Alvi said that baseless cases were filed against the PTI workers. He saluted the judiciary for standing with the law, emphasizing that justice should be the same for everyone.
“The country should come out of the current situation,” said Alvi, adding that the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report should be a learning point for the military, civilians, and politicians.
The former president also suggested that inappropriate situations should be avoided. He urged those in power to think and make progress on this matter, as all institutions reached dead ends and needed to find a way out. The former President also stated that the country needed construction and growth, and the matters could not progress without dialogue. He questioned the effectiveness of communicating through newspapers, asking what kind of dialogue that would be. Alvi said that the people in the jails are being asked to apologize.
He also said that the PTI had the right to ask any judge to recuse himself. The Prime Minister took an oath to disclose matters of the national interest, but questioned whether a section officer should decide what the Prime Minister should disclose and what not.
“If the courts do not consider these matters, they will continue to face disrepute,” he added. It may be mentioned here that Mahmood-ur-Rasheed was shifted to Services Hospital from the jail after his health deteriorated there. He had severe pain in his abdomen. The doctors said that he had been suffering from the appendix.
