Zardari new President of Pakistan

Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari has been elected as new president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Saturday. Asif Ali Zardari is Pakistan’s 11th since 1956, when the country became a republic, excluding acting presidents.

Amidst vociferous slogans of “Jeye Bhutto” and “Zinda hae Bibi zinda hae” the Chief Election Commissioner announced the unofficial result according to which Asif Ali Zardari secured 281 votes, against 111 of Justice (Retired) Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui and 34 of Mushahid Hussain Sayed, out of 436 total votes, of which ten were invalid.

Zardari also swept the polls in the provincial assemblies of NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan.

The voting process was held through a secret ballot by the two chambers of the national parliament, the National Assembly and Senate and the four provincial assemblies.

Chief Election Commissioner, Justice ® Qazi Muhammad Farooq conducted the proceedings as Returning Officer for election to the Office of the President. At the Parliament House, members from both the Houses, Senate and National Assembly, cast their votes to elect the President, being the Electoral College for Presidential election.

The contest was between Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Justice ® Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and Mushahid Hussain Syed of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q).

Chief Election Commissioner and Returning Officer briefed the members of Senate and National Assembly about the voting procedure before the start of the polling and their names were called according to alphabetical order for voting.

The Chief Election Commissioner nominated Justice Syed Zahid Hussain, Chief Justice of Lahore High Court, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Chief Justice of Sindh High Court, Justice Jehan Zaib Rahim Acting Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court and Justice Amanullah Khan, Chief Justice of High Court of Balochistan as Presiding Officers for the provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan respectively.

Security has been beefed up across Pakistan and newly elected President is expected to take oath today.