Asif Ali Zardari takes oath as Pakistan’s 14th president

Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), took oath as President of Pakistan for a second term at a ceremony at Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad, Aaj News reported.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered oath to the newly-elected president. Outgoing president Dr Arif Alvi also attended the ceremony.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, all three service chiefs, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza participated in the swearing-in ceremony.

On Saturday, he was elected the 14th president of the country, defeating Mahmood Khan Achakzai of the Sunni Ittehad Council.

It is noteworthy that Zardari has been elected to a second term as the president. From 2008 to 2013, Zardari served as Pakistan’s 11th president and was the first politician to complete a full term.

Zardari secured total 411 votes in the Parliament and the four provincial assemblies. On the other hand, Achakzai managed to bag total 181 votes.

The PPP co-chairman faced off against Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the chairman of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, who had support of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

Whereas, Zardari was backed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), the Awami National Party (ANP), the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), and other parties.