Chinese President Xi congratulates Asif Zardari on becoming President second time

Chinese President Xi Jinping Sunday felicitated president-elect Asif Ali Zardari for securing the office of the president for the second time.

“[China is] ready to work with [president-elect] Zardari to advance cooperation [with Pakistan] in various fields,” the Chinese president said with Zardari set to take oath as the country’s 14th head of state today.

“Both countries have achieved fruitful results via the establishment of the CPEC”, Xi said while stressing the historical partnership and cooperation of the neighbouring countries.

Recalling the bilateral support showcased by both countries on matters of mutual interest, the Chinese president highlighted the increased significance of the strategic relations between the two countries.

President Xi’s statement comes as Zardari is set to be sworn in as the country’s president today at 4pm at Aiwan-e-Sadr with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, all three service chiefs and other dignitaries in attendance.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa would administer the oath to the newly-elected head of state after he secured the top office by bagging 411 electoral votes against his rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s 181 votes.

Zardari’s victory, who has become the civilian president to be elected for a historic second time, came as he secured the backing of allies parties including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and others.

The presidential elections saw 381 lawmakers out of 398 casting ballots in both houses of parliament.

Meanwhile, 17 lawmakers belonging to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Jamat-e-Islami (JI), PTI, and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) did not participate in the presidential election due to different reasons.

Moreover, PTI’s Shibli Faraz, Ijaz Chaudhry and Azam Swati also did not participate in the voting.

With allies congratulating the veteran politician on securing the top office on one hand, the PTI however, has termed the development as a “bad omen” for democracy.

Previously, Zardari served as the 11th president of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013 and has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since August 2018.

Born in 1955, Zardari was brought up and educated in Karachi. He was married to Pakistan’s former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s daughter, Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in December 2007.

Zardari will replace Dr Arif Alvi, who stayed in office for five more months despite completing his five-year term in September 2023.