ISLAMABAD: Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chair of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), clinched victory as the 14th president of Pakistan on Saturday.

Zardari, backed by the PPP, PML-N, MQM-P, and other coalition parties, outpaced Mahmood Khan Achakzai, supported by the Sunni Ittehad Council, in the presidential contest. This marks Zardari’s second term as president, having previously served from 2008 to 2013. He succeeds the outgoing President Dr. Arif Alvi.

The process to elect the next president saw non-participation from JUI-F and JI lawmakers.

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Vote tally:

In the National Assembly and Senate, Zardari secured 255 votes out of 398 cast, while Achakzai received 119 votes.
Zardari garnered 246 votes in the Punjab Assembly, compared to Achakzai’s 100 votes.
Achakzai led in the 118-member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly with 91 votes, while Zardari received 17 votes (with one vote rejected).
In the 65-member Balochistan Assembly, Zardari received 47 votes, while Achakzai didn’t secure any.
Zardari dominated in the Sindh Assembly with 151 votes, whereas the SIC candidate received only nine votes.

Electoral breakdown:

Zardari accumulated 411 electoral votes, whereas Achakzai secured 181 votes.
In the National Assembly and Senate, Zardari received 255 votes, while Achakzai garnered 119.
In the Sindh Assembly, Zardari secured 58 votes, with Achakzai receiving three.
In the Punjab Assembly, Zardari received 43 votes, while the SIC-backed candidate got 18.
Achakzai led in the KP Assembly with 41 votes, while Zardari secured eight.
In the Balochistan Assembly, Zardari secured 47 votes, while Achakzai didn’t receive any.

(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)