KARACHI: Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan has been re-elected President of Pakistan by an overwhelming majority in the Presidential polls held yesterday. In a brief announcement over Radio Pakistan at 9.30 last night, the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr G. Mueenuddin, said President Ayub had obtained “an absolute majority”. The news of President Ayub’s landslide victory was received with jubilation throughout the country by millions of people who had been waiting anxiously for several hours to know the results. The polling was brisk, fair and free, and completely peaceful in both the Wings. No report of any major incident was received from anywhere.

The results show that the entire nation has re-endorsed, through the 80,000 chosen representatives, its full confidence in President Ayub’s leadership. He polled 49,647 votes and defeated the main opponent Miss Fatima Jinnah by 21,304 votes, obtaining 28,927 votes in West Pakistan and 20,720 in East Pakistan. Against that, Miss Fatima Jinnah secured 28,343 votes, of which a large share — 18,080 votes — came from East Pakistan. Presi­dent Ayub polled 53 per cent of the total votes cast in East Pakistan, according to unofficial results available in Dacca.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2015

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