‘I did not ask for it’, says President Alvi a day after getting immunity in sit-in case

KARACHI: A day after getting constitutional immunity in cases pertaining to 2014 sit-in violence, President Arif Alvi says that he didn’t ask for immunity, but the law exempts the head of the state from facing any such cases.

In his Twitter message, Mr. Alvi said: “I did not want or ask for immunity. However the Hon Judge is bound by Article 248 (2) which does not give him any choice as it states ‘No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the President or a Governor in any court during his term of office.”

I did not want or ask for immunity. However the Hon Judge is bound by Article 248 (2) which does not give him any choice as it states ‘No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the President or a Governor in any court during his term of office’

— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) September 27, 2018

Mr. Alvi and other PTI leaders had a case registered against them related to attacks on Pakistan Television and Parliament House under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) during the 2014 sit-in.

An anti-terrorism court on Sep 27 granted President Arif Alvi constitutional immunity in a 2014 case for stirring violence during his party’s sit-in in the federal capital.

The president was given the immunity under Article-248 of the Constitution.

“An accused person facing trial namely Dr Arif Alvi has already been elected and has taken oath of the office of President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Keeping in view the above fact in light of Article 248 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, protection has been provided to the President and as per Article 248 (2) of the Constitution, no criminal proceeding whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the President or a Governor in any court during term of office,” ATC Judge Syed Kausar Abbasi Zaidi wrote in an order.

Earlier this month, President Arif Alvi had said that he didn’t intend to apply for immunity, ‘but will consult the lawyers’.