Asif Ali Zardari elected Pakistan’s president for second time

Pakistani lawmakers vote for return of widower of Benazir Bhutto after elections marred by rigging claims.

(FILES) Former President of Pakistan and President of Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari gestures towards supporters during a campaign rally for the 2024 general elections on the sixteenth anniversary of his wife's assasssination, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh village, Larkana on December 27, 2023. - Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of Pakistan's slain first female premier Benazir Bhutto who has had a life storied equally by tragedy and farce, is set to become president for a second time on March 9, 2024. (Photo by Ahmed Raza Soomro / AFP)

Asif Ali Zardari during a campaign rally in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh village, Larkana [File: Ahmed Raza Soomro/AFP]

Published On 9 Mar 2024

9 Mar 2024

Save articles to read later and create your own reading list.

Pakistan Peoples Party’s co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has won a second term as Pakistan’s president, supported by the ruling coalition in a vote by parliament and regional assemblies.

Zardari secured 411 votes, while his opponent, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who is backed by the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, received 181 votes, the Election Commission of Pakistan announced on Saturday after tallying the votes by national MPs, provincial MPs and senators.

KEEP READING

list of 4 items

list 1 of 4

‘Most vexing’ test: Can Pakistan’s Sharifs revive talks with India’s Modi?

list 2 of 4

Why is Pakistan’s PTI fighting for reserved seats in parliament?

list 3 of 4

Pakistan top court says ex-PM Bhutto, hanged in 1979, was denied fair trial

list 4 of 4

Army brat to ‘anti-establishment’ face: Who is Pakistan’s Omar Ayub Khan?

end of list

The widower of Pakistan’s assassinated first female leader, Benazir Bhutto, Zardari was voted into the largely ceremonial post by the PPP, which formed an alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) party after Pakistan’s February 8 elections that were marred with rigging claims.

Zardari is expected to be sworn in at a ceremony on Sunday.

Under the terms of the coalition pact, which also includes a number of smaller parties, PMLN’s Shehbaz Sharif was sworn-in as prime minister earlier this week on Monday.

Khan was jailed and prohibited from contesting in the election, with his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party targeted by arrests and censorship, and its members forced to stand as independents.

Play Video

Video Duration 01 minutes 59 seconds

01:59

The PTI said a mobile internet blackout on election day and a delay in results were used to cover up nationwide rigging preventing their victory. The elections were also marred with allegations of vote tampering.

Sign up for Al Jazeera

Weekly Newsletter

The latest news from around the world. Timely. Accurate. Fair.

E-mail address

Subscribe

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy

protected by reCAPTCHA

The PTI won more seats than any other party last month, but fell far short of the majority needed to govern, which cleared the way for the alliance between PMLN and PPP.