ISLAMABAD  -  President Dr Arif Alvi has completed his 5-years term as presi­dent of Pakistan, how­ever, he will continue to perform his respon­sibilities as president till the election of a new president. 

Arif Alvi was sworn in as president of Paki­stan on 9th of Septem­ber 2018. The article 44 of the Constitution says that president of Pakistan is elected for 5 years but despite com­pletion of his tenure he will continue till his successor assumes the office of the president. Senate chairman can only perform duties as acting president of Pa­kistan when president is out of the country or on official leave.

Under the 1973 Con­stitution, President Arif Alvi will be 1st presi­dent of Pakistan who will continue to act as president of Pakistan as the elector­al college for this election is not intact after the dissolu­tion of assemblies. Article 41(3) of the Constitution pre­scribed the electoral college for the election of the presi­dent comprises of four pro­vincial assemblies and the National Assembly. Senior Constitutional lawyer Hafiz Ehsan Ahmad Khokhar when asked to comment on the sta­tus of the president said that president would enjoy com­plete authority and powers even after expiry of 5 years term. “President is the head of state and he has to act on the advice of PM on all exec­utive actions of Pskistan ex­cept the Constitution itself or any other law for time being”, Hafiz Ehsan Ahmad com­mented. Pressure mounted on President Alvi two weeks ago to step down after he an­nounced that he did not sign the Pakistan Army’s Amend­ment Act 2023 and the Offi­cial Secret Amendment Act 2023. However, he did not do so. President Arif Alvi con­sulted his legal team which told him that till the elec­tion of the new president he would continue to perform with full powers and author­ity as president of Pakistan.