Islamabad, Nov 8 (PTI) Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Wednesday asked the caretaker government to address the concerns raised by jailed former premier Imran Khan-led party regarding the "erosion of fundamental rights" and lack of equal opportunity for all parties in the run-up to the upcoming general elections.

Alvi sent a letter to Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar after receiving a communication from the General Secretary of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party Omar Ayub Khan that contained the concerns of the party.

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According to a statement, Alvi in his letter conveyed to Kakar "the concerns of PTI on the erosion of fundamental rights and level playing field for all political parties”.

Alvi, who was among the founding members of Khan's party, stated that it was of utmost importance that the caretaker government under the Prime Minister's leadership made efforts as a neutral entity to provide a level playing field for all political parties.

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“In this context, it was reassuring to hear your recent statements whereby you stated that it was the caretaker government's policy that all registered political parties should have equal rights and opportunities to contest the forthcoming elections”, he wrote.

The President further highlighted that democracy was the only viable way forward for the State and people of Pakistan, the essence of which lay in giving people the right to partake in political activities and to be able to voice their opinions through free media.

He wrote that there was a resonance in Pakistan that for free, fair and credible elections, all political parties and leaders had the right to contest and it was up to the people to decide.

Earlier, Omar Ayub Khan had conveyed his party's concern, through a letter, on the erosion of fundamental rights, with particular reference to enforced disappearances, forced conversions of political loyalties, absence of a level playing field for major political parties, crackdown on media and mistreatment of female political activists through prolonged illegal detentions.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Alvi said that the President represented the unity of the Republic as Head of State under Article 41 of the Constitution of Pakistan and was, therefore, duty-bound along with the Prime Minister and all institutions to protect the rights of the citizens, as enshrined in the Constitution.

He said it was for this very reason that he was sending the letter containing PTI's allegations, which had also been debated in the media, regarding the increasing cases of enforced disappearances of individuals with known political affiliation.

He maintained that such instances became a matter of concern when such actions resulted in the conversion of political associations and/or loyalties. He added that the issue became sensitive when female political workers were also subjected to prolonged detentions or frequent rearrests after court relief.

Alvi wrote that Article 4 of the Constitution of Pakistan stipulated that it was the inalienable right of every citizen to be treated in accordance with the law, while Article 17 of the Constitution provided that every citizen shall have the right to form associations and/or be a member of a political party.

He further said that Article 19 of the Constitution stated that every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press. “The Prime Minister, being Head of Government, may, therefore, kindly look into these issues”, he stated.

The communication by Alvi comes as the Election Commission of Pakistan announced last week to hold the election on Feb 8, ending uncertainty over the date of the next elections. However, various political parties have raised concerns over the lack of a level-playing field.

Khan's party is not the only party complaining about a level playing field leading up to the polls. The rivalry between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party has gained momentum as the latter has alleged that the PML-N has a hidden alliance with the current caretaker government. PTI SH

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)