Pakistan

Twitter comments on presidential candidates

Voting is underway and everyone has an opinion

News Desk September 04, 2018

Speaker of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser casts his vote in the presidential election. PHOTO:APP

The electoral college of Pakistan – comprising the Senate and the recently elected national and provincial legislatures – will elect the country’s 13th president on Tuesday.

Voting via a secret ballot commenced simultaneously in all assemblies and the Senate at 10am with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Arif Alvi, Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Aitzaz Ahsan and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s (MMA) Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the running for the coveted position. The Express Tribune shares Twitter comments and reactions as voting is underway.

The cleric, the lawyer and the partyman

Marvi Memon, former federal minister and chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), remarks that presidential responsibilities include patron in chief of BISP - a position that can help many lives.

goin thru list of responsibilities of Prez of Pak as per current ceremonial responsibilities assigned in constitution.Patron in chief of BISP tops it.Actual useful to people.Good luck to winner today may u contribute to the vulnerable and may u get brownie points frm Allah Sain
— Marvi Memon (@marvi_memon) September 4, 2018

Politician Ali Raza Abidi thinks the presidential election will make clear whether PTI's votes can be bought.

Like PPP ended up getting votes against $$$ from PTI’s members during Senate elections, there may be a repeat of the upset during #PresidentialElection today.

Hoshiyar, hoshiyar, hoshiyar, ajj “Zameer” ka vote ho ga, elections mai bohot kharcha hua hai..
— Syed Ali Raza Abidi (@abidifactor) September 4, 2018

Akhtar Mengal retweets a post confirming the Balochistan National Party (BNP) will support Arif Alvi.

https://twitter.com/JKTFanClubb/status/1036529161408524288

Polling continues to elect 13th president of Pakistan

Hasil Bizenjo, President of the National Party, confirms his party will be voting for the opposition candidate in a retweet

For Presidential Elections 2018 #NP will support the candidate brought forward by the opposition alliance.
— National Party - NP (@NationalParty_) September 3, 2018

Awami National Party's Bushra Gohar points out the misogyny that would enter office alongside Fazlur Rehman.

#PPP was wrong in dividing the opposition by nominating #AitzazAhsan for President but so were the opposition parties to nominate #FazalurRehman in complete disregard for women MPs. #FR never voted or supported women in the Parliament. Didn’t vote for a woman speaker.
— Bushra Gohar (@BushraGohar) August 29, 2018

Abid Sher Ali, a Pakistan Muslim League-Noon (PML-N) politician who was a member of the National Assembly, uses the election to bemoan Nawaz Sharif's fate. "The Presidential elections are beginning to bear fruits. Law and punishment is only applicable to Nawaz Sharif."