Presidential polls: Zardari successfully garners required support?

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari is set to win the presidential election as he has gathered the support of 345 electoral votes, it is learnt.

Pakistan Election Commission on Friday had announced that the presidential election would be held on March 9 at the National Assembly and all the provincial assemblies from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

According to the sources, the PPP with its ally the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after the 2024 nationwide polls successfully attained the support of 345 electoral votes for its nominee Asif Zardari for the head of the state.

They said that the PPP delegation also held a meeting with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) to bag votes for its candidate Asif Ali Zardari. They said that MQM-P leaders assured the PPP delegation to support the PPP candidate for presidential election.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was apprised by the committee members formed for the presidential campaign regarding the achievement in a briefing session ahead of the contest for the coveted post.

In the upcoming electoral event, Zardari will face Mahmood Khan Achakzai, chairman of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), who has been nominated as presidential candidate by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

Asif Ali Zardari who served as the 11th president from 2008 to 2013, has the support of the Nawaz-led party, the MQM-P, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), and others, is eyeing his second presidential term after replacing the outgoing president Dr Arif Alvi.

As far as the number of lawmakers is concerned, who would attend the electoral event, the Electoral College of 692 votes includes 96 senators, 336 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs), and 260 votes from the four provincial assemblies.

According to the Second Schedule of the Constitution, the candidate obtaining the largest number of votes would be declared the winner by the chief election commissioner (CEC) while the federal government will declare the results of the presidential election via a public notification.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024