Asif Zardari elected as 14th President of Pakistan

Pakistan Prime: On Saturday, Pakistani lawmakers elected Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of the center-left Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), as the 14th president of the country. Widowed by two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Zardari, 68, and the ruling coalition’s candidate, secured victory over Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a seasoned politician from the southwestern Balochistan province, and a nominee of the opposition Sunni Ittehad Council, a religiopolitical group now housing lawmakers from jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

The election witnessed the absence of participation from some small political parties, including the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) and Jamaat-e-Islami, as they chose to boycott the proceedings, with none of their MPs casting votes.

The voting, which commenced at 10 a.m. local time (0500GMT) at the National Assembly building in Islamabad and all four provincial capitals, concluded at 4 p.m. (1100GMT).

Notably, Zardari’s election marks his return to the highest, albeit symbolic, constitutional office for a second term. He previously served as president from 2008 to 2013 during his party’s government.