Let’s work towards a new Pakistan – President Alvi

President Arif Alvi, left, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, center, and Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani listening to National Anthem before the President’s address to the Joint Session of the Parliament on Monday. (Photo courtesy: National Assembly)

• Reiterates need to strengthen anti-graft institutions in first address to parliament
• Voices support for measures introduced by PM Khan to strengthen economy

ISLAMABAD: Urging institutions to eradicate corruption, President Arif Alvi said he supported Prime Minister Imran Khan’s austerity drive, in comments made during his first address to the joint session of parliament, on Monday.
He said that Pakistan’s progress is marred by corruption which has led to an array of challenges and problems for the country. “The elections’ [results] have proven that people are tired of dishonesty and are looking for relief,” he said, urging the parliament to introduce measures to strengthen anti-graft state institutions.
Turning the spotlight on Pakistan’s bilateral relations with the international community, Dr. Alvi said that visits by dignitaries – such as the Information Minister of Saudi Arabia, foreign ministers of China, United States, Turkey and Iran – helped cement those ties further.
He also spoke at length and in support of the newly-formed government’s policies, urging people to embrace the changes introduced by the PM “to create a Naya Pakistan (New Pakistan)”.
President Alvi also touched upon a host of challenges confronting Pakistan – such as the water crisis in the country, loopholes in the educational system, lack of measures to empower women and better provision of health facilities --- suggesting several policies along the way to overcome the issues.
The address, while inspiring, was not without its share of drama — opposition members from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party staged a walkout, after being barred from speaking, ahead of the president’s speech.
The president was scheduled to speak on September 11, but the event got postponed, at the request of the opposition, following the death of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s wife, Kulsoom Nawaz.
A dentist by profession, Dr. Alvi is a close ally of PM Khan and one of the founding members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. He was sworn in as the 13th president of Pakistan on September 9. 
In Pakistan’s parliamentary system, the president plays a largely ceremonial role, even though he is both the head of the state and the commander of the country’s military. 
In 2010, the parliament passed the 18th amendment in the constitution which transferred significant powers to the prime minister, doing away with the president’s authority to dissolve the parliament.