Asif Ali Zardari becomes president for second time

March 9, 2024 09:50 AM

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Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has been elected the country's 14th president defeating Sunni Itehad Council candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that his party’s candidate and father Asif Zardari got 411 votes in the presidential election. Mehmood Khan Achakzai, candidate of SIC – home of PTI-backed independents - secured 181 votes, he said in a post on X formerly known as Twitter.

411 PPP
181 SIC

Congratulations President elect Zardari @AAliZardari

Ab Sadar Banega Zardari pic.twitter.com/peJwjjCyYF
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) March 9, 2024

In a press release, the Election Commission of Pakistan confirmed the victory of Asif Ali Zardari. “The official result of count on Form-VII shall be prepared and forwarded to the federal government tomorrow after receipt of original record from the presiding officers”, the commission said in a press release.

The former foreign minister said Zardari received 255 votes from the National Assembly and Senate, 151 from the Sindh Assembly, 246 in Punjab, 17 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 47 in the Balochistan Assembly. Mahmood Khan Achakzai got 100 votes in the National Assembly. Overall 352 lawmakers cast votes and six were rejected by the presiding officer.

Ruling coalition candidate Zardari bagged 58 votes and PTI-backed SIC candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai three in the Sindh Assembly.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai received 91 votes in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and Asif Ali Zardari 17 votes. Of 118, 109 KP Assembly members cast ballots while one vote was rejected.

Asif Ali Zardari secured 47 votes from the Balochistan Assembly. In contrast, Mahmood Khan Achakzai could not secure a single vote in the provincial assembly, according to a result announced by a presiding officer.

'Election was generally fair'

After losing the presidential election to PPP’s Asif Zardari, Mahmood Khan Achakzai said the poll was generally fair.

“The most unusual thing about this election was that the first time, votes were neither bought nor sold,” he said while speaking to the media In Islamabad.

“There are some people in Pakistan who think that everything can be bought and sold he Pakistan,” he said, adding that there is a distinction growing between people who can buy and those who can't." He also expressed his gratitude to the PTI leadership for their support.

Reporters: Awais Kiani and Usman Khan