ISLAMABAD: Co Chairman of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari was elected as the 14th president of Pakistan with a wide margin, defeating the opposition candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
As per the final vote tally, Zardari, a former president and candidate fielded by the ruling alliance, won 255 votes, while Achakzai polled 119 votes.
In total, Asif Zardari bagged 411 electoral votes in parliament and the four assemblies, while Achakzai got 181 votes.
Lawmakers across the country in the Senate, National as well as the four provincial assemblies cast their votes to elect the president. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had finalized all arrangements for the process, which commenced at 10am and concluded at 4pm.
After the voting period ended, the counting of votes started. As per the vote count, Asif Zardari clinched 17 votes in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, while his opponent Achakzai grabbed 91 votes. A total of 109 votes were polled out of which one was rejected. Achakzai bagged 40.8 electoral votes in KP and Zardari 7.62.
In the Balochistan Assembly, all 47 votes have been bagged by Asif Zardari, as claimed by provincial Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti. In terms of electoral votes, This is also the number of electoral votes polled against both candidates.
In the Sindh Assembly, Zardari got 151 votes, while Achakzai polled nine votes. A total of 162 votes were polled out of which one was rejected. Two of the cast votes were not included as per court orders. In terms of electoral votes, the PPP leader bagged 58 votes against Achakzai’s three.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Mahmood Achakzai got 40.80 votes and Asif Ali Zardari 7.62 votes. In Sindh Assembly Asif Ali Zardari bagged 58 electoral votes and Mehmood Khan Achakzai 3 electoral votes
In Balochistan Assembly Asif Ali Zarrari got 151 votes and his opponent 9 electoral votes.
In Punjab Assembly, Asif Ali Zardari received 246 votes and Achakzai 100. while six votes were rejected. In terms of electoral votes, the PPP leader bagged 43 votes and his opponent 17.5.
PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, the joint presidential candidate of the allied parties in the coalition government, stands poised to potentially secure his second term as president if successful in this election. He faces competition from Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party President Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who is the joint candidate representing the opposition.
The respective houses of parliament have been declared the polling stations where the election is being held through a secret ballot. The Parliament House in Islamabad would cater to senators and MNAs, while the four provincial assemblies would take on the role of polling stations for the respective provincial lawmakers.
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman is acting as Asif Zardari’s polling agent, while Senator Shafiq Tareen is representing Achakzai.
Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamir Farooq has been appointed as the presiding officer in the Parliament House. Zardari’s children, Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, are also present in the Parliament House for the presidential election.
Meanshile, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has decided against voting in the presidential election, while the Jamaat-e-Islami also decided against participating in the process.
The two parties together had 20 senators and MNAs in parliament, who abstained from voting in the presidential election. The JUI-F has 11 MNAs and four senators. The JI’s lone senator, Mushtaq Ahmed, and PML-F’s Muzaffar Shah also did not cast their votes. Moreover, the PTI’s three senators also did not show up to vote, including Shibli Faraz, Azam Swati and Ejaz Chaudhry.
The new president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is scheduled to be sworn in tomorrow (Sunday). The oath-taking ceremony will be held on Sunday at 4pm at the President’s House. Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa will administer the oath to the newly elected president.
The Presidency has issued invitations to the guests to be invited to the ceremony.
Read more: Asif Ali Zardari Vs Mehmood Khan Achakzai; Who will win throne of Pakistan, Polling underway
