Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party, secured his position as Pakistan’s 14th President on Saturday, marking his return to the helm of the nation for a second term.
Zardari, aged 68, emerged victorious as the joint candidate of both the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). His opponent, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, 75, represented the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
The election results saw Zardari clinch a significant victory, receiving 255 votes across the National Assembly and the Senate, while his rival secured 119 votes, solidifying Zardari’s position as the new President of Pakistan.
The new president was chosen by the electoral college composed of recently elected members from the National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies, in accordance with constitutional regulations.
Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) displayed significant support in the Sindh Assembly, where he garnered the highest number of votes. Additionally, he secured a unanimous victory in the Balochistan Assembly, capturing all votes cast.
Despite the competition, Zardari emerged victorious in the Punjab assembly, surpassing his opponent Achakzai. Conversely, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly, where the SIC/PTI coalition holds power, Achakzai received the majority of votes against Zardari.
A businessman-turned-politician, Zardari, who is the husband of the late Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, is poised to assume the presidency, succeeding Dr. Arif Alvi, whose five-year term concluded last year. Despite the delay in forming the new electoral college, Zardari’s election process has been initiated.
Zardari, who previously held the presidency from 2008 to 2013, will make history as the first civilian to be elected for a second term as president. His inauguration is scheduled for Sunday.
