ISLAMABAD: At newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari’s swearing-in ceremony, there was a rare exchange of pleasantries between the country’s senior military and political officials.
Zardari, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman, took the oath of office one day after winning the presidential election with 441 electoral votes.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the alternative candidate supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), received only 181 electoral votes.
The oath was administered to President Zardari by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa at the ceremony held at Awain-e-Sadar in Ismabad.
Top leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, all services heads, including Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, former president Arif Alvi, and diplomats, attended the ceremony.
PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, elected legislators, and other political leaders were also in attendance.
Following the oath, COAS Gen. Munir congratulated Bilawal and Zardari on the election of the PPP’s leader as president.
