Former Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and his rival Mahmood Khan Achakzai filed their nominations for the upcoming presidential election scheduled for March 9. Zardari, representing Sindh province and co-chairing the Pakistan Peoples Party, has secured the support of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz following the coalition formed after the split mandate in the February 8 elections.
Zardari, 68, who previously served as president from 2008 to 2013, is poised for a second term with backing from the majority parties in the electoral college.
On the other hand, 75-year-old Achakzai, hailing from Balochistan and leading the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, received nomination from Imran Khan, the incarcerated leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. In Parliament, Achakzai will be bolstered by support from the Sunni Ittehad Council, comprising PTI-backed independent lawmakers.
The nomination papers of both candidates were submitted. The elections will be held on March 9. The new president will succeed Dr. Arif Alvi, whose five-year term ended last year. However, due to the absence of the electoral college necessary for the presidential election, Alvi remains in office.
The president is elected by an electoral college consisting of members from the Senate, the National Assembly, and the four provincial assemblies, voting via secret ballot. As the ceremonial head of state, the president’s powers are limited, as they act upon the advice of the prime minister.
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