ISLAMABAD: Polling to elect Pakistan’s 12th president started on Tuesday as incumbent President Asif Ali Zardari completes his five-year term in September.
Lawmakers arrived at their respective Houses, while strict security arrangements were in place at the National Assembly, the four provincial assemblies and the Senate.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has fielded senior party leader Mamnoon Hussain, while former cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), has nominated former judge Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmad.
There is a one-on-one contest as the major opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has boycotted the presidential election over reservations on the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to reschedule the poll.
The electoral college of the presidential election consists of Senate‚ National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies.
Voting is be held through secret ballot and began simultaneously at the Parliament House and the four provincial assemblies at 10:00 am and will continue till 3:00 pm.
The Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court is presiding over the polling process at the parliament house while the chief justices of the four provinces will preside over the process in the provincial assemblies.
According to Article 41(3) of the Constitution, the president will be chosen for five years by the electoral college of 706 lawmakers, including 104 senators and 342 members of the National Assembly and 260 of the provincial assemblies. By-elections for about 50 seats of national and provincial assemblies are scheduled for August 22.
