Pakistan elects new President today

The presidential elections are to be held on Tuesday between Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) candidates, while many other parties have boycotted the elections. According to Article 41(3) of the constitution, the electoral college of 706 lawmakers with 104 senators and 342 members of the National Assembly and 260 of the provincial assemblies will elect the president of Pakistan. The PML-N candidate, Mamnoon Hussain, is likely to win the presidential election as they have majority representation, and Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has also declared support for PML-N candidate. PTI candidate, Justice (retired) Wajihuddin Ahmed, is contesting the election against the PML-N candidate independently. Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q), Awami National Party (ANP), Balochistan National Party (BNP-A), and Awami Muslim League (AML) have boycotted the presidential elections. The PPP announced boycott of the elections over the Supreme Court orders to change the date of elections from August 6 to July 30. The winning candidate requires 263 votes to win out of 520 expected votes. The voting will take place simultaneously at a joint sitting of the two houses of parliament in Islamabad and in the provincial assemblies in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, the voters would not be allowed to carry mobile phones or cameras in order to maintain secrecy. It said that after receiving the ballot paper, the voter was required to proceed to the place reserved for marking the ballot paper with a cross-mark against the name of a candidate and then drop it in a box immediately. Any person who fails to obey any lawful order of the presiding officer may immediately, by order of the presiding officer, be removed from the place of poll and the person so removed shall not, without the permission of the presiding officer, re-enter such place, an ECP official also pointed out.(end)