President Zardari casts his vote by post

Bilawal denied permission to cast vote by postal ballot, party denies he will visit polling station to cast vote.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has cast his vote through the postal ballot system ahead of Saturday's landmark general election, his spokesperson confirmed.

"Yes he has cast his vote through a postal ballot," presidency spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said.

The postal balloting system was introduced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure maximum participation of the voters. The voters to whom postal ballots are issued will not be entitled to vote in person at the polling stations.

Bilawal not to cast vote

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will not be able to vote this year.

Babar said that the party chairman had been denied permission to avail the postal ballot facility.

Party officials have said the threats against Bilawal are too serious for him to appear in public, discounting a trip to a polling booth to cast his vote. On Thursday, the last day for electioneering, Bilawal had to resort to a pre-recorded video message to address a political gathering in Rawalpindi.

"We cannot take this risk because of the bad security situation. Already the son of the former prime minister has been kidnapped," PPP general secretary Taj Haider said.

He praised the election commission for allowing Bilawal's father, President Asif Ali Zardari, a postal ballot, but at the same time expressed sorrow that the same privilege had been denied to Bilawal.

"We cannot take the risk that he physically casts his vote."

Zardari's two daughters, Aseefa and Bakhtawar, though, have been granted permission to cast their votes by post, the spokesperson said, providing no further information.

The precise whereabouts of the family has not been announced.