Zardari secures 246 votes in Punjab PA

PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari secured 246 votes from Punjab Assembly while Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) contestant Mehmood Khan Achakzai could only obtain 100 votes in the presidential election on Saturday.

Out of the total 353 sitting members of the provincial assembly (MPAs), 352 exercised their right to vote, while one of Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) did not cast his vote in any candidate’s favour.

However, six of the votes cast were declared invalid.

As the presiding officer announced the results, the assembly reverberated with slogans in favour of the PPP.

Earlier, PPP’s parliamentary leader in Punjab Assembly Haider Ali Gillani had expressed confidence regarding a good result for the party.

During the voting process, the PML-N and its allied parties submitted an application to the presiding officer against SIC’s MPA Sonia Ali over allegedly violating the secrecy of vote.

They alleged that the legislator had shown her vote to the polling agents, which is against the rule of secrecy. SIC members also submitted an application raising objections over the votes of the members who had taken oath on reserved seats a day earlier.

They contended in the application that as per Article 51 of the Constitution, these seats were to be allotted to the SIC but had been distributed among other parties. They requested the presiding officer to restrain those MPAs from casting their votes.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2024.