File photo. Aamir Qureshi—AFP
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has secured the support of a majority of lawmakers, all but ensuring his election as the next President of Pakistan, party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was informed on Tuesday.
In a posting on X, the PPP’s media cell said Bhutto-Zardari was apprised of the allied parties supporting his father in the upcoming presidential polls. It said the information was provided to the former foreign minister during a meeting with members of his party’s presidential campaign committee, namely ex-prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani; former National Assembly speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf; and party leaders Syed Khursheed Shah and Syed Naveed Qamar.
“PPP has received support from the candidates of PMLN, PMLQ, BAP, and IPP,” it said.
Reportedly, the total numbers supporting Zardari—after the addition of reserved seats withdrawn from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)—is 345 lawmakers. Additionally, the PPP is currently negotiating to secure the support of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, but the latter has expressed some reservations. The total number of lawmakers eligible to vote in the presidential elections are 692—96 senators; 336 MNAs; and 260 MPAs from all four provincial assemblies.
Zardari would be facing Mahmood Khan Achakzai, chairman of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), who has been nominated as the presidential candidate by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed SIC.
The presidential elections is conducted via secret ballot in a special session of the Parliament, Senate, and all four provincial assemblies under Article 41(3) of the Constitution, after the formation of the Electoral College. The candidate with the largest number of votes is declared winner by the chief election commissioner (CEC), with the federal government declaring the results via a public notification.