CM Murad says no better choice than Zardari for President

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah said that there is no better choice for the President slot than PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, ARY News reported.

While talking to media after submitting nomination papers, CM Sindh said Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will request all parties including MQM- Pakistan to vote for Asif Ali Zardari in the Presidential election.

He said that the party has requested MQM-P members to vote for PPP’s candidates for the election of speaker and deputy Speaker election.

Replying to a question regarding MQM’s demand for amendment in Local Government Act, Shah said that in Sindh, Local Bodies were already powerful, MQM might have demanded local government powers for Punjab.

He said that PPP will approach legal forums for its grievances regarding polls.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) named Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai as their presidential nominee for the coveted constitutional post against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Asif Ali Zardari will be presidential candidate of coalition partners including the PML-N, People’s Party and other allies.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday announced the schedule for the presidential elections.

According to the ECP schedule, polling for the presidential election will be held on March 9 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The nomination papers can be submitted till 12:00 noon on March 2 (today).

The Returning Officer (RO) will scrutinize the nomination papers on March 4 at 10:00 am whereas the final list of candidates for the presidential elections will be displayed on March 5:00 at 1:00 pm.

Electoral College

The electoral college for indirect presidential election comprises of the members of the Senate, National Assembly and four provincial assemblies.

In the election, the Senate and National Assembly’s members’ votes are counted as single votes.

The votes cast by the provincial assembly legislators are adjusted so as to give each province an equal share in the election. Therefore, each provincial assembly has 65 votes equivalent to the strength of Balochistan Assembly, which has minimum number of members.

The weightage of the total members of other provincial legislatures will be decided according to fixed number of 65.