Islamabad: President Dr. Arif Alvi has refuted claims of signing the Official Secrets Act Amendment Bill 2023 and the Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023. He stated that he was not in favor of endorsing these bills and asserted that his staff acted against his wishes.
In a tweet, President Alvi declared, “I want to affirm that I did not put my signature on the Official Secrets Act Amendment Bill 2023 and the Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023. I do not support these bills.” He clarified that he had instructed his staff to return the unsigned bills within the specified timeframe to render them ineffective.
President Alvi expressed his disappointment, mentioning, “Despite confirming multiple times with my staff whether the bills had been returned, I received assurances that they were sent back. However, I have now learned that my staff went against my intentions and orders.”
The President further commented, “Allah is aware of all things, and I believe He will forgive. I extend my apologies to those who may be adversely affected.”
Notably, there were reports yesterday stating that the President had signed both bills. However, today, President Alvi has categorically denied any such signing.
In response to yesterday’s news of the signing, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a leader of Tehreek-e-Insaf, was taken into custody under the Official Secrets Act when he returned home after a press conference. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested him and filed a case against him under the Official Secrets Act in connection with the disappearance of a code.
