President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday said that he was trying in his personal capacity to bring stakeholders together at one table and resolve their differences to reduce political polarisation in the greater national interest, according to a press release from the President’s Secretariat.

The press release, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said the president was trying to persuade stakeholders to use democratic means of discussion, consultation and deliberation to find “mutually agreed upon solutions on major issues”.

The press release said that the president informed journalists about his efforts during an interactive session with them at Lahore’s Governor House today.

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“The president said that keeping in view the heightened political polarisation in the country, he had been trying in his personal capacity to bring the stakeholders to one table and provide them the opportunity to discuss and negotiate the possibility of mutually agreed upon solutions to the issues and conflicts which may reduce political polarisation in the country.

“He said that he would continue his efforts toward reducing the political polarisation, adding that his efforts had made some impact towards reducing the distance from extreme positions to some extent. He said that efforts had been made and would continue to be made within the framework of the Constitution and laws of the land for bringing political stability to the country,” the press release reads.

It added that Alvi said the country needed “strong and effective institutions” and that every endeavour should be made for strengthening and enabling them to perform their respective functions in accordance with the Constitution.

President Alvi said that all stakeholders may sit together and decide upon a “mutually agreed upon date” for the next general elections which should be held in a free, fair and transparent manner, adding that he hoped that such a move would help “reduce the political temperature”.

He also said that stakeholders should consider discussing the use of technology to bring “efficiency, transparency and fairness” in elections.

“He said that the government and institutions should focus on a greater vision and mission and should avoid getting embroiled in petty matters and issues of narrow scope.

“The president stated that there was a need to focus our time, energies and efforts to embrace new and emerging technologies, developing out-of-the-box solutions to resolve issues and challenges and developing the capability to avail each and every opportunity to take the country forward on the path of progress and development.

“He further said that issues like inflation, economy, improving service delivery and reducing political polarisation were pressing issues which, in his opinion, needed to be addressed on priority [basis],” the press release states.

Responding to a question, the president said that slain journalist Arshad Sharif had sent him a letter about threats to his life and Alvi forwarded that letter, along with his comments, to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

He said that the media was an “integral part of the democratic dispensation” and should perform its functions “freely without any intimidation or harassment” under the relevant provisions of the Constitution and laws.

He also criticised fake news, likening it to backbiting. Alvi added that any statement presented out of reference and context sometimes led to “serious consequences” and that people should train themselves to verify every piece of news so as not to become an “instrument for promoting fake and unverified news”.

“Replying to a question, he said that our country needed to focus on imparting quality education, market-based research and development and bringing 25 million out-of-school children to schools by applying out-of-the-box solutions.

“He said that we should also focus our energies on the prevention of diseases through promoting a healthy lifestyle, creating awareness about early diagnosis, controlling malnutrition and stunting and providing a balanced diet to the vulnerable population.

“The president also said that we should educate our people to provide them with the skills, knowledge and information to counter global warming and mitigate its harmful impacts and put in place low-cost solutions to reduce the impact of natural calamities,” the press release reads.

‘Backchannel talks’

President Alvi was in Lahore for the night on Friday, along with Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

PTI chief Imran Khan is already in Lahore, recuperating from the wounds he suffered in an assassination attempt on him earlier this month.

President Alvi has emerged as the leading figure in the army’s ongoing “backchannel talks” with the PTI. He had already facilitated at least one direct meeting between Gen Bajwa and Imran at the Presidency.

PTI sources had confirmed that Alvi delivered Gen Bajwa’s message to Imran when he visited him last weekend to inquire about his health.

Sources in the PTI did not rule out the possibility of a meeting between the three or President Alvi coming with a new message from the military leadership. Alvi was scheduled to meet both Imran and Gen Bajwa today, a source had said.

The meeting(s) would be taking place against the backdrop of reports that ex-premier Nawaz Sharif had refused to give any “concessions” for easing political tensions. Earlier reports suggested that the army had been pressuring both the PTI and the PML-N to back off so that the coming transition could go ahead smoothly.