The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday officially declared Dr Arif Alvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) as the winner of yesterday's presidential election.
Dr Alvi was declared as the 13th president of Pakistan after an official count showed he had managed to bag the most number of votes from among the three candidates, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman and PPP's Aitzaz Ahsan being the other two.
The results of Tuesday's election were prepared in the presence of the three aspirants' representatives at the ECP headquarters today, with Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza serving as the returning officer (RO).
According to the Form VII issued by the RO, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, Dr Alvi secured 352 electoral votes — 44 more than his two rivals could collectively obtain. Rehman and Ahsan clinched 184 and 124 electoral votes, respectively.
A total of 1,110 votes were cast during the election that was simultaneously held at the Parliament House in the capital, and the provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the notification revealed. Of these, 28 votes were declared invalid.
Dr Alvi bagged 212 out of 424 valid votes polled at the parliament, where MNAs and senators voted jointly.
He secured more votes than his opponents in all legislatures, except the provincial assembly of Sindh — the province he belongs to and from where he had contested and won two consecutive elections of the National Assembly.
The ECP has sent the official results to the federal government, which will notify Dr Alvi as the 13th president of Pakistan.
He will replace President Mamnoon Hussain, who is set to complete his term on September 9.
