Alvi and Imran will prove to be an ideal team

For a prime minister in the post-Zia-ul-Haq Pakistan, it has always been quite a challenge to find a ‘loyal’ president. Only former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, during his last two terms (February 17, 1997-October 12, 1999 and June 5, 2013-July 28, 2017), was lucky to have two loyal presidents, Rafique Tarar and Mamnoon Hussain. Otherwise, the president in Pakistan’s political system has been either a boss or a troublemaker, but he has never been an inactive figure.

The late Benazir Bhutto in her second term as prime minister of the country (October 19, 1993-November 5, 1996) had installed her party’s loyal worker Farooq Khan Leghari as president of the country and claimed she had put an end to conspiracies against the elected governments. However, only three years after assuming charge of the office he sent her packing in 1996 by using the controversial clause 58(2)b of the constitution.

Even Nawaz Sharif during his first term in office (November 6, 1990-July 18, 1993) had to lose office twice after differences with then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan who was considered an ally of the Sharif’s PML-N.

President Asif Ali Zardari didn’t have to dismiss prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s government (March 25, 2008 -June 19, 2012) as he had all powers concentrated in his office and Gilani was a mere rubber stamp.

Likewise, president Musharraf also had at his beck and call three prime ministers — Zafarullah Jamali (November 23, 2002 -June 26, 2004), Shujaat Hussain (June 30, 2004 — August 26, 2004) and Shaukat Aziz (August 28, 2004 — November 15, 2007).

According to analysts Imran Khan is also lucky to have installed a loyal person, Dr Arif Alvi, in the Aiwan-e-Sadr of Pakistan and there is no fear of differences between the two.