Asif Ali Zardari sures 255 votes while his rival could get only 119 votes in the race of the presidential elections held at the National Assembly and all four provincial assemblies.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-March 9th, 2024) Pakistan Peoples’ Party Parliamentary (PPP) President Asif Ali Zardari has once again been elected as president of Pakistan.
Asif Ali Zardari secured 255 votes and defeated Mahmood Khan Achakzai who could get 119 votes during the race of the presidential elections
He is the 14th president of the country who had already served in the same office.
The Islamabad High Court Chief Justice, Aamer Farooq, serving as the presiding officer for the presidential election in the National Assembly, officially announced the election result.
In the Punjab Assembly, Zardari secured 246 votes while Achakzai received 100 out of the 352 votes cast by lawmakers, with six votes being invalidated during the voting process.
Achakzai failed to secure any votes in the Balochistan Assembly, where Zardari obtained 47 votes by 4:25 pm. Notably, the BNP-A, JI, and Haq Do Tehreek abstained from participating in the voting.
In the Sindh Assembly, the PPP co-chairman amassed 151 votes, while his rival received nine votes, with one vote rejected during the assembly proceedings. However, Achakzai faced resistance in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, where the SIC holds influence.
In KP, the PkMAP chief secured 91 votes against Zardari's 17 out of the total 109 votes cast. Additionally, nine members of JUI-F boycotted the election, and one vote was rejected by the presiding officer.
The polling took place in the Senate of Pakistan, the National Assembly, and the four provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, designated as polling stations.
A secret ballot was conducted from 10 am to 4 pm.
Zardari, the joint candidate of the coalition parties, received support from the Sunni Ittehad Council, while Mahmood Khan Achakzai had their backing.
Live coverage from Parliament captured lawmakers from a diverse political alliance congratulating Zardari's son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, amidst chants of 'Aik Zardari Sab Pey Bhari' (One Zardari outweighs all).
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated Asif Ali Zardari for winning the presidential elections and becoming the 14th president of the country.
