KARACHI: Opposition votes hand Asif total victory
Out of a total 64 electoral college votes for the presidential election in the house of 166 members, Mr Zardari swept all but one vote, which was dismissed on a technicality.
Three members were not present, namely former Sindh chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, who was in Dubai, Dr Mohammad Ali Shah of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, who was in London, and Sardar Nadir Ali Magsi, who could not make it because of bad weather in Balochistan, where he had gone to muster up support for Mr Zardari.
The other two contenders in the presidential race – retired Justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui of the PML-N and Mushahid Hussain Saiyed of the PML-Q – failed to get even a single vote out of the 163 which were cast.
The polling agents were Law Minister Ayaz Soomro for Mr Zardari, Saleem Zia for Justice Siddiqui and Yusuf Alvi for Mr Mushahid Hussain.
The polling, which started at 10am, was closed at exactly 3pm after the last call from the podium for the three missing voters – Arbab Rahim, Dr Mohammad Ali Shah and Nadir Magsi. As no one turned up, the ballot box was opened and the ballots were counted.
Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court who served as presiding officer, before announcing the result paid compliments to the members for the manner in which voting was conducted in and the congenial atmosphere during polling.
His announcement of the results was greeted with thumping of desks and a boisterous atmosphere gripped the house. Members stood up and were seen greeting each other. Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Jam Madad Ali and Leader of the House Syed Qaim Ali Shah embraced each other.
As the presiding officer left, the house echoed with pro-Bhutto slogans.
The first vote was cast by Abdul Haq Bhurt of the PPP while the last vote was cast by Marvi Rashdi of the PML-F at 2.55pm.
Two MPAs, who were abroad, returned last night to cast their vote. They were Shama Mithani, who was in the US, and Mohsin Shah Bokhari, who was in London for treatment.
Dramatic moment
In what was probably the most dramatic moment of the day, the PPP’s Ms Ruqqaya Soomro was brought from the hospital in an ambulance. She was brought into the assembly hall on a stretcher assisted by her relatives. When she entered, all members stood up out of respect and remained standing until she was taken back after marking her ballot with the assistance of the presiding officer, who also dropped it in the ballot box.
When the chief minister’s name was called to cast his vote, he was greeted by the thumping of desks. He cast his vote at 11.37am.
When a few members from the opposition entered the house, they were greeted and cheered on by the treasury members by desk thumping. Before casting their votes, each member shook hands with Qaim Ali Shah and other PPP leaders.
All three National People’s Party members – Arif Mustafa Jatoi, Masroor Jatoi and Abid Jatoi – came at 11.30am and after casting their votes left the house as by that time the opposition benches were still vacant as no one had turn up from the PML-F and members of the Press Gallery doubted they would come at all.
However come they did, led by Jam Madad Ali, at a quarter to three. Their arrival was also greeted with desk thumping.
Change of heart
There had been quite a lot of confusion about what route the PML-F would take as even by Friday night Jam Madad Ali and his group of eight MPAs, along with three MPAs of the PML-Q, were undecided. It was apparently a last minute call from Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to PML-F chief Pir Pagara which ensured the change of heart.
Earlier, out of the tiny 17-member opposition, three NPP members and two other PML-Q legislators – Shehryar Mahar and Shah Hussain Shirazi – had announced their support for Mr Zardari.
The Sindh Assembly comprises 168 MPAs, but due to litigation two seats have remained vacant. If the house had been complete the total strength of the electoral votes would have been 65, equal to the number of the Balochistan Assembly, as per the formula in the Constitution.
Chief Justice Jamali ensured transparency by keeping an eye on the process from the chair of the speaker. He was assisted as polling officer by Sindh Provincial Election Commissioner Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, Secretary Sindh Assembly Hadi Bux Buriro and Registrar of the Sindh High Court Rasool Bux Memon.
The transparent ballot box was kept on the table in front of the presiding officer, which was visible from all sides in the house.
In the Governor’s Galley Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, Home Secretary Arif Ahmad Khan, Chief Minister’s Advisers Waqar Mehdi, Rashid Rabbani and others were prominent while in the Speaker’s Gallery PPP leaders Taj Haider, Prof N.D. Khan and Nafees Siddiqui, along with Shahi Syed of the ANP, were seen.