SHC accepts petition challenging Alvi's presidency

E-Paper | March 12, 2026

The Sindh High Court on Monday accepted a petition challenging Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Arif Alvi's presidency.

The petitioner, Azmat Rehan, alleged that President Alvi had "tampered with court records" and was ineligible to hold the office of Head of State.

According to Rehan, Alvi had thrice changed his statement in court during hearings of a 1977 case against him pertaining to the Alvia Trust, which he claimed Alvi was a co-trustee of.

The petition also claimed that the PTI leader had submitted incorrect documents in court, due to which he acquired ownership of 1,810 acres of land near Hawkes Bay beach. It said that the current chief justice of the Sindh High Court had also issued an order against Alvi earlier.

It contended that a person who has "tampered with court records cannot become the country's president".

The court issued notices to the respondents, including the Election Commission of Pakistan and the federal government. The respondents have been ordered to submit their replies by Jan 1.

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sheryaar

Dec 24, 2018 01:56pm

president has ammunity as AZ had before.. so accepting this petition is wrong move.. it will be in Alvi's favour anyways because of immunity !!

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Tahir Raouf

Dec 24, 2018 02:07pm

Did the petitioner have a nod from the establishment?

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Ejsz

Dec 24, 2018 02:25pm

Would you find a single politician in Pakistan, who has a clean past ? Imran Khan is surrounded with corrupt people.

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Danish

Dec 24, 2018 02:37pm

False accusations against Alvi. He is most pious and honest person in Pakistan.He hardly own the house how can he have so much land in Karachi.

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M. Saeed

Dec 24, 2018 02:46pm

That means, every person in this country was a crook at a stage in life and nobody can rise to any position of value without adopting illegal means.

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Sahmad

Dec 24, 2018 02:54pm

I thought Presidents have the immunity.

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Arif Godil

Dec 24, 2018 04:11pm

Where was the petitioner when Zadari was in power. Please Alavi Saheb give a public statement on this issue.

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Ashar

Dec 24, 2018 04:58pm

How were the documents tempered?

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Tahir A

Dec 24, 2018 05:17pm

The court can accept the case but it has to be stayed until 2023. However, I don’t understand what the Election Commission has to do with this matter and how the federal government becomes a relevant party.

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Fishy

Dec 24, 2018 05:38pm

Why the waited so long.

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Jamil Ahmed

Dec 24, 2018 07:06pm

Does president has immunity to temper the documents and commit forgery ? I ask for my knowledge. When the then CJ Iftikhar Choudhry had made contempt of court case against the then PM, Mr. Yousif Raza Gillani, when he had not written a letter to Swiss Authorities against the then president of Pakistan Mr. Asif Ali Zaradari. Further, is there any immunity to president in corrupt practices during his office tenure? Is this mandatory that the president of pakistan be Sadiq and Amin? I need to know this for my knowledge.

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Dec 24, 2018 07:09pm

If true. I am astonished what state institution do. People contesting must be 100 percent eligible. Atleast within pakistan they must get clean chit before contesting. State must devise mechanism to sort this for all.

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Jahanzaib

Dec 24, 2018 09:33pm

All goes in air

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Zubair Syed

Dec 24, 2018 10:02pm

Thief is a thief even if he is in Tarik-e-Insaaf. But it looks like justice will not be served as these people are blesses at least for now

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Zubair Syed

Dec 24, 2018 10:05pm

No AZ did not had immunity and court had to send a PM home for not sending a letter. So Alvi Sahib should have a moral courage to step down as he cheated.

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Dec 24, 2018 10:38pm

Does he own 1,800 acres of land? If yes, then he owes an explanation to the public. Sooner the better

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Magnanimous approach

Dec 24, 2018 11:00pm

This petition is late, outdated. The petitioner should file this to ECP before election. And now due to President immunity it will not work.

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Saleem Ansari

Dec 24, 2018 11:40pm

The leaders are from this nation, so how can they be different.

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Hafeez

Dec 25, 2018 12:55am

Accepting case against president who have immunity is malafied intent.

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ARIF GODIL

Dec 25, 2018 01:34am

@Sheryaar. We should not allow immunity to anyone. All should be equal before the law. The constitution should be changed. Everybody should be accountable. CJP has done great work. Let us hope he shows the nation a way to catch the thieves.

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Irfan Baloch

Dec 25, 2018 02:42am

@sheryaar, this is PPP's revenge

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Hasan Abdullah ( Kashmir, India)

Dec 25, 2018 03:11am

Let Imran Khan and his party, the pious PTI answers all these illegality that the president has been doing. The government in Pakistan has become a joke.

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Zak

Dec 25, 2018 03:16am

Either Alvi should snswer these allegations in great detail or he must resign. He has brought ridicule to our country. The whole of South Asia and all Asia itself must be laughing at our country being run like a circus.

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Ghulam Baik

Dec 25, 2018 03:19am

The Thugs of PTI .. are just as bad as thugs from other parties. Ban them also, for life.

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M S Alvi

Dec 25, 2018 03:24am

PML and PPP will be doing such things as a revenge. It must be ignored, or the president should use immunity. It is more a mischief than a case.

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Ahmed Nabi

Dec 25, 2018 03:44am

This matter of possible corruption by President and suborning of Justice must be cleared up within one month. Otherwise our constitution is at risk. PTI. And Imran Khan you have been warned and put on notice .

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Rasheed

Dec 25, 2018 05:38am

@Tahir Raouf, Indian in disguise?

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azam khan

Dec 25, 2018 10:33am

@Ejsz, nothing has been proved & you have already decided to call him corrupt.

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Zak

Dec 25, 2018 09:00pm

The president does Not have immunity in such cases and should be pursued with the full face of the law and Justice. The honorable CJP should push such cases “suo moto” .. to its natural conclusion. I am PML member, but the law is clear and blind and ruthless for all violators. Pakistan zindabad.

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