zardari-poised-for-second-term-as-president-of-pakistan

Asif Ali Zardari, former President of Pakistan, is anticipated to secure the presidency for the second time in the election slated for today. 

 

The election comes as the tenure of Dr. Arif Alvi, the incumbent president, lapsed last year, with his continuation necessitated by the absence of a newly constituted Electoral College.

 

A scion of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the husband of the late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Zardari, aged 68, is expected to succeed Dr. Arif Alvi. 

 

The PPP, backed by the coalition government led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has propelled Zardari's candidacy, aligning with the political landscape shaped by the fragmented mandate of the February 8 polls.

 

The electoral dynamics reveal a "quid pro quo" arrangement: while the PPP supported the PML-N's nominee for prime minister, it secured the opportunity to form the government in the Punjab provincial assembly.

 

Conversely, Zardari garnered PML-N backing, resulting in his party's governance in the Sindh province.

 

If elected, Zardari will mark a historic milestone as the first civilian to ascend to a second term in the presidency. However, his bid faces a challenge from Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the leader of the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), supported by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

 

The anticipated victory of Zardari is bolstered by the ruling coalition's dominance across the Senate, National Assembly, Punjab Assembly, Sindh Assembly, and Balochistan Assembly.

 

Conversely, the opposition maintains a majority solely in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa legislature.

 

The electoral process, mandated by Pakistan's Constitution, involves an indirect selection by an electoral college comprised of federal and provincial parliamentarians.

 

Parliament and provincial assembly precincts have been designated as polling sites to facilitate voting by MPs.

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Arif Alvi, the outgoing president, received a ceremonial send-off on Friday, marking the conclusion of his term.

 

Initially elected in September 2018, Alvi's tenure extended beyond its expiration due to the absence of the dissolved National Assembly and provincial assemblies in August 2023, preceding the February 8 general elections.

 

In a late development, Achakzai, the candidate supported by Khan and PTI, sought a postponement of the presidential election, citing an incomplete electoral college.