ISLAMABAD: Voting to elect the President of Pakistan started on Saturday in the Parliament House. The voting process will continue until 4:00 pm in the afternoon without any break.

Members of the National Assembly (NA) and the Senate are casting their votes. The Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court is acting as the presiding officer.

A joint candidate of the PPP and PML-N, Asif Ali Zardari, and Sunni Ittehad Council’s candidate, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, are in the running for the office of president.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur and Speaker Babar Salim Swati polled their votes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for presidential election. So far 41 members polled their votes.

Minister Arshad Ayub cast the first vote. Polling station has been set up for the presidential election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly under the supervision of Chief Justice Peshawar High Court Ibrahim Khan. Members of the Provincial Assembly will be able to cast their votes from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

109 members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly will participate in the presidential election. 9 members of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam will not participate in the voting after announcing the boycott of the elections.

There is contest between Asif Ali Zardari, the candidate of the federal coalition government, and Mehmood Khan Achakzai of the Sunni Union Council. Parliamentary Leader of PPP Ahmad Karim Kundi is the polling agent of Asif Ali Zardari, while Minister Mina Khan is the polling agent of Mehmood Khan Achakzai. 91 members of Sunni Ittehad Council would vote in favor of Mehmood Khan Achakzai.

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The members of Pakistan Muslim League-N, People’s Party and PTIP would vote in favor of Asif Ali Zardari. More than 350 security personnel have been deployed for holding peaceful election.