Pakistan's President Arif Alvi on Thursday urged the leaders of the government and opposition parties to end the country's ongoing political crisis and hold new elections.
Addressing a joint session of the lower and upper chambers in Islamabad, the president, who is a member of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said the country needs unity and that the current political polarization must be addressed.
This was the first time the president addressed parliament since Khan's ouster in April of this year.
"The political leadership should sit together … decide election date," the president said.
He emphasized the importance of unity as the country is already suffering a serious crisis as a result of the devastating flood, which killed about 1,700 people and affected over 33 million people across the country.
The president also asked members of parliament to strengthen the accountability system. "The accountability system in the country need to be strengthened to eliminate corruption," he stressed.
He obliquely questioned the incumbent government's revisions to accountability and electoral rules, stating that the country requires robust legislation to eliminate corruption and hold free and fair elections.
The president also thanked those countries that have helped Pakistan in the current flood disaster and appreciated the efforts of the federal, provincial, and armed forces to help the victims.
The majority of the ruling party's members were not present during his speech.
The president also lauded Pakistan's expanding relations with Türkiye, China, the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE and other countries, stressing the importance of strengthening relations with the rest of the world.
In reference to the country's relations with Türkiye, he said: "We have close and historical relations with our Turkish brothers and sister since 1880 and I remember our people going there when Türkiye went through the Russian war and earthquakes."
During his speech, he also discussed issues related to education, health, agriculture and other sectors in the country.
