ISLAMABAD, Sept 9: PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari was sworn in as the head of state by Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar at a largely attended ceremony held at the Aiwan-i-Sadr on Tuesday.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Pakistan People’s Party’s chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Mr Zardari’s daughters Bakhtawar and Asifa, father Hakim Ali Zardari and sister-in-law Sanam Bhutto attended the ceremony.

Mr Zardari who had said before the resignation of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf that the Aiwan-i-Sadr would soon resound with slogans of ‘Jeay Bhutto’ was all smiles as he saw his prophesy come true.

The audience received him with a bout of cheers as he entered the hall.

Full-throated slogans of “Jeay Bhutto” and “Zinda hai BB zinda hai” were raised by PPP leaders and activists.

The ceremony was also attended by National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza, Attorney-General Sardar Latif Khosa, governors and chief ministers of the provinces and the services chiefs.

Coalition partners, including Awami National Party’s Asfandyar Wali and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman were also present, while Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Nawaz Sharif did not attend the ceremony because he had to leave for London.

After taking the oath, the president met the guests, ministers, parliamentarians, members of the superior judiciary, diplomats and elite of the city, besides a large number of PPP workers.

They congratulated the president and got photographed with him.

The children of Mr Zardari were also the focus of attraction throughout the ceremony. Young Asifa was termed by many as ‘little Benazir’. She was wearing a green shalwar qameez with white dupatta, covering her head in the style of her late mother Benazir Bhutto.