The Alvi Dental and Bringing Smiles USA signed an agreement in Governor House Karachi to launch a countrywide chain of dental clinics to bring “affordable dental care” to Pakistan. As the agreement was being signed by the President’s son Awab Ali and his American counterpart, a jubilant Arif Alvi and his wife stood over to watch the transaction. The table on which the signing took place prominently displayed the Pakistan government’s insignia. This appears to be a brazen misuse of the Governor’s House to promote the business interests of the President’s son. Dr Alvi reportedly resigned from Alvi Dental after becoming the President but curiously his name continued to appear on the company’s website with no mention of his resignation. This too raises questions about the use of the President’s office for promoting the firm. Dr Alvi’s presence at the Governor House ceremony is a clear indication that he was keen to help his son’s new business enterprise. Ceremonies of the sort are normally held in a hotel or a private premises. Holding it at Governor House was meant to create a perception that the chain of dental clinics enjoyed the government’s backing. This amounts to providing the firm a leverage against others in the business.
As public reaction on social media became explosive, President Alvi confessed that the venue for the signing ceremony was a matter of poor judgement. There is however a perception that it was a well-thought out decision aimed at providing publicity to his son’s business. This is in violation of the oath taken by President Alvi which required him to affirm that “I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct or my official decisions.”
The incident is a test case for the PTI which claims to be the guardian of moral and political uprightness. Prime Minister Imran Khan has led a campaign against political opponents whom he accused of using their office to promote their business concerns, directed his advisors to conduct their media trial and urged the NAB to sentence them at the earliest. One expects Mr Khan to judge his own loyalists by the same standards.
