As Zardari returns, country gears up up for Presidential polls

President has returned to the country a day before presidential election.

With only hours remaining for the Presidential election, the incumbent President returned the country on Monday evening, Express News reported.

Elections are due to be held simultaneously in both houses of the parliament and the four assemblies from 10am to 3pm on Tuesday, July 30, 2013. The Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court will preside over the polling at the parliament, Radio Pakistan reported.

The Chief Justices of high courts of the four provinces will preside over the elections in the respective provincial assemblies.

The electoral college for the elections comprises of members of the Senate, National and the four provincial assemblies.

According to the electoral list issued by the ECP, out of the 706 electoral votes only 674 would be able to exercise their right to vote. Members of Senate, National Assembly and Balochistan assembly have one vote each, while the numbers of votes of the other three provincial assemblies are equal to that of Balochistan Assembly.

The ECP has also barred the legislators from carrying mobile phones during the electoral process.

Ballot papers and other related materials have been dispatched to the national and provincial assemblies.

The result of the election are expected to be announced on the evening of the election.

Presiden Zardari returns

President Asif Ali Zardari has returned to the country on Monday evening, Express News reported.

He has returned to the country from his trip abroad, just hours ahead of the presidential election.

Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party has boycotted the presidential election after Supreme Court asked Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold polls on July 30.

After the PPP’s boycott, now it is a one-on-one contest between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Mamnoon Hussain and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Justice (Retd.) Wajihuddin Ahmed.