Daily Times

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari took oath on Sunday as the 14th president of Pakistan – making history by being elected as the head of state for the second time.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath to Zardari at a ceremony at the Presidency. The event was attended by governors and chief ministers of all provinces except K-P CM Ali Amin Gandapur.

Former president Dr. Arif Alvi, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Bakhtawar Bhutto, Asifa Bhutto, Army Chief General Asim Munir and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza also attended the event.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated Zardari on his election as president of Pakistan.

In his message, Xi said China and Pakistan are good neighbours, friends, partners and brothers. He added that the two countries have achieved fruitful results in constructing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and maintained a high level of bilateral relations. The Chinese president said Beijing is ready to work with President Zardari to carry forward the traditional friendship between the two countries.

Iranian President Ayatollah Syed Ebrahim Raeesi congratulated Zardari on his election as the president of Pakistan. He expressed hope that during his presidency, the relations between the two countries, having historical, cultural and religious history, will be more developed and deepened than before.

“As always, and especially in the new era, the Islamic Republic of Iran declares its readiness to expand relations with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”

According to a notification issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) following the poll, the ruling coalition’s candidate secured 411 votes, while the PTI-backed candidate received 181 votes from the Electoral College.

Zardari bagged 255 votes in the Senate and National Assembly while the SIC candidate and PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai only secured 91 votes. The former president swept the votes in the Sindh Assembly, bagging 151 while PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai managed nine votes. Except for the K-P Assembly where the PPP leader did not get the majority vote, Zardari won most of the votes in all other provincial assemblies by a comfortable margin.

In K-P, Zardari got 17 votes versus Achakzai’s 91. In Punjab, the former president secured 246 votes and the PkMAP leader got 100 votes.