Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party, has been elected for a second term as Pakistan’s president. The victory comes following a parliamentary and regional assembly vote held on Saturday, which was part of an election process marred by allegations of rigging.
Zardari secured 411 votes, while his opponent, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who is backed by the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, received 181 votes. The Election Commission of Pakistan announced these results on Saturday after counting the votes from national MPs, provincial MPs, and senators.
Previously, Asif Ali Zardari served as the President of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013. Duing his first term the 18th Constitutional Amendment was passed, which transferred many of the presidential powers to the Prime Minister and Parliament, effectively transforming the role of the President into that of a figurehead.
During his first term, he faced numerous challenges, including threats from the Taliban and tense relations with the military, especially following the United States special forces’ operation in Pakistan that resulted in the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in 2011.