Asif Ali Zardari has once again become the President of Pakistan after defeating his rival veteran Pakhtoon nationalist politician Mahmood Khan Achakzai by a wide margin. According to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Zardari bagged as many as 411 votes against Achakzai’s 181 in presidential polls which were carried out in Karachi, Quetta, Lahore, Peshawar and Islamabad.
Achakzai, who is widely known for his highly prudent approach to politics and his consistent advocacy of Pashtoon people’s rights on both sides of the Durand Line, has described the presidential polls as “largely fair”, explaining that “the most unusual thing about this election was that the first time it has happened votes were neither purchased nor sold”. According to him, “there are some people in Pakistan who think that everything can be bought and sold but there is a distinction growing between people who could be bought and those who could not be.” In my view, the election of Asif Ali Zardari as the President of Pakistan will augur well for the future of democracy in Pakistan. After Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) of Imran Khan, Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) can be described as a political entity that has its presence across the entire length and breadth of the country. The defeat of PTI/Sunni Ittehad Council-backed Achakzai of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party was expected, it was disappointing nevertheless.
Ramazan Nizamani, Karachi
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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