Musharraf wins Pakistani presidential election boycotted by opposition parties

Editor's Note:

Pakistani opposition parties did not vote, in protest for exiling opposition leader former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and preventing him from return to the country.

The opposition party also objected to Musharraf keeping himself as chief of the armed forces and president of the country at the same time.

In the Pakistani parliamentary system, armed forces should be commanded by the elected prime minister.

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Islamabad, Oct 6, 2007, IRNA

Pakistan-Election According to unofficial results President Pervez Musharraf has won presidential election with majority.

President Musharraf has won presidential polls with clean sweep, state television reported on Saturday.

According to unofficial results President Musharraf has bagged 252 votes in the parliament, while Justice Wajih has got two votes, while three votes have been rejected.

Musharraf bagged 253 votes and Justice Wajih three votes in Punjab Assembly, while a vote was rejected.

In Sindh Assembly President Musharraf bagged 102 votes out of total 104 votes and Justice Wajih got two votes.

In NWFP Assembly Pervez Musharraf has bagged 31 votes, Justice Wajih got one vote, while two votes were rejected.

Musharraf bagged all 33 votes cast in Balochistan Assembly.

Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Rtd) Qazi Muhammad Farooq was Returning Officer the presidential election.

High Court chief justices were presiding officers at their respective provincial assemblies.

The vote process started at 10:00 am was concluded at 3:00 p.m.

Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians has decided to remain abstain from the vote.

Transparent ballot boxes were used in presidential elections.

Under the Supreme Court ruling, the results of the election would not be announced till the court's verdict on constitutional petitions under hearing in the a pex court.

The polling at the Parliament House began as Senator Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi cast the first vote in the parliament, after which other parliamentarians started casting their votes.

In National Assembly 199 members used their right to vote, in Senate 57 members, Punjab Assembly 257, Sindh Assembly 104, while 34 Frontier Assembly members and 33 Balochistan Assembly members cast their votes.

Former minister of state Shahid Jameel who has been arrested in Kafeel a Siddiqui murder case was brought to the assembly from jail on production orders issued by the NA speaker.

Qari Gul Rahman, Muttahida Majalis Amal MNA from Karachi also cast his vote.

Stringent security measures were taken in Islamabad and the provinces on the occasion.

Musharraf excels in Pakistan presidential elections

www.chinaview.cn 2007-10-06 19:45:40 Print

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) --

The unofficial results unveiled by the Senate, the National and Provincial Assemblies of Pakistan show that President General Pervez Musharraf has achieved a crushing victory in the presidential elections on Saturday, local TV channel DAWN NEWS reported.

The report said that Musharraf got 252 votes in the National Assembly and Senate, 31 in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), all the 33 votes in Balochistan province, 253 in Punjab province and 102 in Sindh province.

Pakistani parliamentarians walk into the National Assembly Hall before casting their votes in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, Oct. 6, 2007. Senators and members of the National and Provincial Assemblies of Pakistan started to cast their votes in the presidential elections on Saturday.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Another candidate retired Supreme Court judge Wajihuddin Ahmed got two votes in the national assembly and senate, one in NWFP, three from Punjab province and two in Sindh province.

The voting process of the presidential elections started from 10 a.m. (0500 GMT) and concluded at 3 p.m. (1000 GMT).

The major opposition People's Party (PPP) decided to abstain from the voting but its candidate Makhdoom Mohammad Amin Faheem still remained on the list of candidates.

Around 200 lawmakers of the opposition alliance All Parties Democratic Movement resigned from the National and Provincial Assemblies in a bid to protest against Musharraf's reelection.

A ruling of the Supreme Court on Friday said that the final notification of the elections should not be announced before Oct. 17 when the Supreme court was expected to resume the hearing of the petitions challenging Musharraf's candidature.

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