Mamnoon tramples opposition on way to presidency

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  • PML-N candidate bags 432 electoral votes against Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmad’s 77
  • CEC says ECP conducted free and fair polls, leaders should now focus on good governance

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) consolidated its grip on the country’s reigns on Tuesday as its presidential nominee Mamnoon Hussain got elected as the 12th president of the country for a five-year term with a thumping majority, leaving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmad biting the dust.

The president – still considered a crucial official despite removal of Article 58-2(b) –holds immense symbolic value as the head of the state and the supreme commander of the armed forces.

Mamnoon, 73, is likely to be sworn in at the presidency on completion of five-year term of President Asif Ali Zardari on September 9. He would be one of the very few presidents of the country serving at such an old age.

According to results announced by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (r) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, Hussain polled 432 electoral votes against his lone rival retired Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmad of the PTI, who got 77.

The result was announced by the CEC after tabulation and consolidation on Tuesday evening.

Per PML-N sources, Hussain resigned from the basic membership of the PML-N soon after the election results were announced as a symbolic move to establish himself as a non-partisan president.

Earlier, former President Sardar Farooq Khan Leghari also tendered resignation from the basic membership of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) after his election as president in 1993. Later, he dismissed his own party’s government over corruption charges. However, Mamnoon is not so bold and is known as a political nobody who always toes his party’s line.

He entered the hall along with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and others and met the leaders of the PML-N and its allies. The parliamentarians, mostly from the PML-N and its allies, queued up in the National Assembly hall to cast their vote for electing the new president, while the PTI members kept discussing issues with their party leader Imran Khan who had arrived to cast his vote.

A discussion also triggered some controversy between PTI lawmakers and even National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq joined them for a while.

PM Nawaz Sharif entered the hall at 2:55pm with other PML-N members and cast his vote at 3pm.

The first vote was cast at 10:15am by Senator Abbasi Afridi.

The PML-N members, along with the chief whip, were comfortable in the hassle-free election. Both the contestants, despite having a sense of the results, were in the run for the sake of democratic norms, as stated by PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

The polling continued without a break in the National Assembly hall where members of the parliament cast their votes at three polling booths. At around midday, CEC, who was the returning officer for the election, also visited the National Assembly building and witnessed the polling process. He stayed in speaker’s gallery for some time.

The counting process started on culmination of the polling as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Mamnoon Hussain both remained in the House until the result was announced. Pleasantries were exchanged and congrats extended by the party members and MPs to both the upcoming president and the prime minister.

ELECTION RESULTS:

In Islamabad, 314 votes were cast of which 311 were declared valid by the presiding officer, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Anwar Kasi.

Hussain secured 277 votes while Wajihuddin Ahmad got 34.

In Sindh Assembly, 27 electoral votes were cast by members, and Mamnoon Hussain bagged 25 votes, while Wajihuddin received just two.

In Balochistan Assembly fifty-six votes were cast of which 55 went to Hussain.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, fifty-seven electoral votes were cast. Hussain got 21 votes, while Wajihuddin bagged 36.

In the Punjab Assembly, fifty-eight electoral votes were polled, with Hussain bagging 54.

While announcing the result, the CEC said the commission has conducted free and fair election and hoped that the authorities would now concentrate on good governance.

17 COMMENTS

  1. Congratulations to all Talibans. A madrassa pass out is now President of Pakistan. He can join hands with Taliabn to make Pakistan a "True Islamic State". At least now Taliban should stop attacks.

    • His madrassa degree might be a fake. Better have it verified. Almost all politicians have fake degrees these days and pay no taxes, Nawaz Sharif paid only 5,000 for making Billions. Also have his degree checked out.

      • The politicians with fake degrees are mostly from PTI with Ghulam Sarwar Khan & Ayla Malik already Disqualified and the toll is increasing with each passing day. Fearing action from the Supreme Court against these fake degreeholders and failure of KPK Government in restoring peace and Failure to prevent terrorist attacks killing thousands of innocent people in Peshawar, Mardan, Hangu, Kohat, Karak and DIKhan, Imran Khan has started attacking the judiciary-following the footsteps of PPP.
        While PPP attacks the Supreme Court fearing the opening of Corruption cases against its leaders, PTI attacks Supreme Court fearing action against its fake degreeholders and it's failure.

        • The qualifications that Ayla Malik possess and which fancied IK are not fake., be rest assured. IK won the World Cup, swept J off her feet, knows what he sees and in his opinion AM possesses the right degree and qualifications, apart from being experienced in the field.

        • Perhaps you will also deny that Nawaz Sharif and his beloved brother was not involved in money laundering people's money to Britain and he was not part of the opposition which allowed deterioration of electric system which is causing wide spread electric load shedding. Also he was not involved in rigging the election

        • You are a PML-N supporter no doubt,what kind of services are you providing to the party DR.Saeeda ????? You seem to be bashing all parties except the PML-N

      • You better check the record with FBR. The NTN Statements available with FBR prove that Mian Sahib paid 10times more Tax than Imran Khan Niazi.

        • Perhaps you will also deny that Nawaz Sharif and his beloved brother was not involved in money laundering people's money to Britain and he was not part of the opposition which allowed deterioration of electric system which is causing wide spread electric load shedding. Also he was not involved in rigging the election.

    • He is an agent of imperial class ; Mr Nawaz despite various criminal charges is made PM by the so called forces acting in national interest.

  2. "Tay Sajnan noun qaid boal gai." There goes another Fazal Elahi Chaudhary in solitary confinement. Sits well to the needs of the brothers for rest of us, he is "Jee Sahib Jee."

  3. NONSENSE.HE WILL PROVE ANOTHER ISHAQ KHAN.NO ONE GO ALONG NAWAZ SHARIF AND NAWAZ SHARIF CANNOT GO ALONG EVEN A GOAT.HE IS SO MAGROOR-FAROON AND SO HIS BROTHER AND THEY ARE ALL SO INTOLERANT TO CRTICISM OR WORD OF WISDOM.

  4. He looks JAHIL and he needs to see a dentist ASAP, because no front tooth is making him look JAHIL and ugly. GOD save our Pakistan

  5. Don,t blame him of being uneducated. His is an expert in making & supplying Dahi Balla. On top of it he has done Masters in cooking of Sri Paya.

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