Asif Ali Zardari, the joint candidate of PPP and PML-N, has been elected as 14th president of Pakistan. Zardari received majority votes of the electoral college, comprising the parliament and provincial assemblies, paving way for him to assume the office of President of Pakistan, for the second time in country’s parliamentary history.
The PPP co-Chairman received 411 votes while the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) backed candidate Mehmood Khan Achakzai — the home of PTI independents — only managed to get 181 votes.
In a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate, the coalition government’s nominee received 255 votes while SIC-backed candidate managed just 119 votes.
Asif Ali Zardari, the joint candidate of PPP and the PML-N, and Sunni Ittehad Council’s candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai contested for the office of President.
The current ruling coalition, comprising the PML-N, the PPP, and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), has backed former president Asif Ali Zardari.
The President is elected by an electoral college comprising members of the Senate, National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies.
A joint session of the parliament was held at the parliament house in Islamabad today where the members of National Assembly and the Senate will exercise their right to vote.
Similarly, the provincial assemblies also holding their sessions today for the election.
