ISLAMABAD: President Arif Ali has denied signing the controversial Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023.
In a surprising turn of event, the president said his staff signed the bills even though he ordered to return the bills.
“As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 & Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 as I disagreed with these laws,” he said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I asked my staff to return the bills unsigned within stipulated time to make them ineffective. I confirmed from them many times that whether they have been returned & was assured that they were,” he added.
“However I have found out today that my staff undermined my will and command. As Allah knows all, He will forgive IA. But I ask forgiveness from those who will be affected.”
It nust be mentioned that former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi have been booked under the Official Secrets Act for a case regarding the missing cypher.
As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 & Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 as I disagreed with these laws. I asked my staff to return the bills unsigned within stipulated time to make them ineffective. I confirmed from them many times that…
— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) August 20, 2023
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) expressed its deep concerns on the president’s revealeation, saying that his post was “unusual, alarming, and unimaginable from every aspect”.
“The president’s tweet has exposed to the nation the deadliest infection spreading from top to bottom in the state system,” the PTI said, adding that the party spokesperson would respond after reviewing President Alvi’s post in detail.
On July 31, the National Assembly passed the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, to penalize individuals with a five-year imprisonment term for disclosing sensitive information concerning national security or the armed forces.
The Official Secrets Act was approved days before the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 7. Both bills were presented before the president for final approval.
