Pakistan Presidential Election To Be Held On March 9, Asif Ali Zardari Ahead In Race For Post

The electoral process to select Pakistan’s next President has been scheduled for March 9, as announced by the election commission on Friday. Former President Asif Ali Zardari is highly anticipated to reclaim the position after an absence of nearly 11 years, according to news agency PTI.

The new president will succeed Dr. Arif Alvi, whose five-year term concluded last year. Dr. Alvi has been serving in the interim period as the formation of the new electoral college was pending.

Due to the dissolution of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies in August 2023 preceding the February 8 general elections, the successor to Dr. Alvi couldn’t be elected. The members of the federal parliament and provincial assemblies form the electoral college responsible for electing the country’s president.

Following the February 8 elections, the National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies all have newly elected members. And, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) released a detailed schedule for the presidential election.

According to the ECP notification, candidates aspiring for the top constitutional office have until March 2 at noon to submit their nomination papers. Scrutiny of the nomination papers will take place on March 4, with the option to withdraw candidature the next day. Subsequently, the commission will publish the list of validly nominated candidates on the same day, and March 6 has been designated as the retirement date.

According to news agency PTI’s report, the polling to elect the next president is scheduled to be held on March 9 at the National Assembly and all the provincial assemblies from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Pakistan Presidential Polls: PPP And PML-N Jointly Nominate Asif Ali Zardari

Zardari, jointly nominated by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is poised for victory. In response to the disappointing election results, the two parties, along with four smaller parties, formed a post-election coalition to prevent Imran Khan‘s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party from retaining power.

The PTI-backed majority of independent candidates secured 93 seats in the National Assembly. The PPP secured 54 seats, the PML-N secured 75 seats, and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) secured 17 seats. It is worth noting that many independent candidates later switched their allegiance and joined the alliance.

The plan, which was purportedly approved by the influential military establishment, called for Zardari, 68, to be the PPP’s joint presidential candidate and Shehbaz Sharif, 72, of the PML-N, to be the prime ministerial candidate.

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Zardari, the widower of slain Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, previously held the presidency from September 2008 to 2013.

As part of the arrangement, Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, Maryam Nawaz, is expected to assume the role of chief minister of Punjab province, the stronghold of the Sharif family, while PPP will govern Sindh. And, So far, the opposition parties have not yet nominated anyone against Zardari.