Islamabad (September 04, 2018): Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday lamented the failure of opposition to field joint candidate for the presidential election.
Talking to reporters during the presidential polls, the former Chief Minister of Punjab (CM) vowed to make efforts to keep the opposition on same page in future.
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“Unfortunately the opposition could not agree upon one presidential candidate,” he said.
Sharif also added that he tried well to field a joint single presidential candidate but it couldn’t be done so.
Earlier on Monday, the Opposition parties made last-ditch efforts to bring a joint candidate for the Presidential Election but again failed to evolve a consensus.
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Asif Ali Zardari rejected the request and rather asked Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman to withdraw in favour of PPP candidate.
Reports say JUI (F) Chief agreed with the idea with a condition that the PPP should persuade PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif about this proposal.
However, the PML-N and PPP leadership stuck to their respective view points, paving the way for PTI candidate Dr. Arif Alvi to win the Presidential Election with a majority support.
The successor to President Mamnoon Hussain will be elected by an electoral college comprising as many as 1,121 members of the National Assembly, Senate and the provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Three seasoned politicians are in the race for the office of the head of the state: Dr Arif Alvi of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI); PML-N backed chief of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), Fazlur Rehman; and senior PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan.
On the other hand, voting for presidential election started at 10am at NA, Senate and all the provincial assemblies and will continue till 4pm.
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Pakistan’s President is elected indirectly through an electoral college, comprising the Senate, National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies – Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Every member of the National Assembly has one vote while the four provincial assemblies are assigned an equal weight with the smallest, the Balochistan Assembly, serving as the base.
The newly-elected president of Pakistan will take oath on September 9.
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