ISLAMABAD: The polling for the 13th presidential election of Pakistan has ended at the National and provincial assemblies. The counting process is underway.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Arif Alvi, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan and Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, who was the joint candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and National Party, are in the run for the office of the country’s president.
Polling for the presidential election commenced at 10am. Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court presided over the election in the Parliament. Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Raza is the returning officer for the presidential election.
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Prime Minister Imran Khan in his short visit to Parliament came to cast his vote at 3:15 pm and left the house. PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also casted their votes.
PTI presidential candidate Dr. Arif Alvi expressed confidence that he will be elected as president with a clear majority as PML-N and PPP failed to field a joint candidate.
Fazl-ur-Rehman and Aitzaz Ahsan unable to cast votes as neither the PPP leader is a member of the Senate nor the JUI-F chief an MNA nor MPA. Alvi was the only presidential candidate who cast vote for himself.
Following the completion of the polling process, presiding officers will announce details of total votes polled, while a final result of the election will be announced by the returning officer.
