US congratulates new President Arif Alvi
Alvi was sworn-in as the 13th president on Sunday.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The United States has congratulated Dr Arif Alvi on his swearing-in as the new President of Pakistan, Radio Pakistan reported Sunday.
“The United States looks toward working with Pakistan to advance our shared interests, such as regional peace, stability, and prosperity,” State Department spokesperson Heather Nauret said in a statement.
Alvi, a longtime ally of Prime Minister Imran Khan and one of the founding members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was sworn-in as the 13th president Sunday.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar administered the oath to the newly-elected president.
Alvi swore to "bear true faith and allegiance to Pakistan" and to carry out his duties "in the interest of the sovereignty, integrity, solidarity, well-being and prosperity of Pakistan".
Prominent political leaders and other key dignitaries including Prime Minister of Pakistan (PM) Imran Khan and chiefs of all three armed forces were also present on the occasion.
Arif Alvi won the presidential election last week by securing 352 votes in the electoral college of national and provincial assemblies and the Senate.
Who is Arif Alvi?
Born in 1949 and a dentist by profession, Dr Arif Alvi is among the founding members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
He was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from June 2013 to May 2018 and again from August to September 2018. His father Dr Habib ur Rehman Elahi Alvi was also a dentist.
Education
Alvi acquired his dental degree BDS (Dentistry) from de’Montmonrency College of Dentistry, an affiliate of the Punjab University.
He received Master of Science degree in Prosthodontics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1975. At University of the Pacific, San Francisco, he completed a Master of Science in Orthodontics in 1984.
Political career
Alvi ran for the seat of Provincial Assembly of Sindh as a candidate of PTI from constituency PS-114 (Karachi) in Pakistani general election, 1997, but remained unsuccessful. He again ran for the provincial assembly seat in 2002 elections on PTI ticket from PS-90 (Karachi-II) but was unsuccessful and secured only 1,276 votes. He served as PTI secretary general from 2006 to 2013.
He was elected as member of the National Assembly of Pakistan for the first time in general election 2013 on PTI ticket from NA-250. Alvi was the only PTI member to win a National Assembly seat from Sindh in 2013 elections. In 2016, he was made president of PTI Sindh chapter.
Alvi was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PTI from constituency NA-247 (Karachi South-II) in general election 2018.
