Ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) candidate Mamnoon Hussain, who was born in Agra, on Tuesday won the presidential election, defeating Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) nominee Wajihuddin Ahmed by a huge margin.
Mr Hussain will take the oath as the 12th President of Pakistan on September 9 after the incumbent, Mr Asif Ali Zardari, completes his tenure.
Mr Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party had boycotted the presidential vote to protest against the rescheduling of the election, which was originally planned for August 6.
Mr Hussain got 432 electoral votes against 77 for his rival Wajihuddin Ahmed. The result of the polling at Parliament House Islamabad and all provincial Assemblies was announced by Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim. The winning candidate, Mamnoon Hussain, secured 277 votes and Wajihuddin Ahmed 34 in the National Assembly and Senate.
Twenty-seven electoral votes were cast in the Sind Assembly; of them, 25 were polled for Mr Hussain and two for Mr Ahmed. Mr Hussain secured 55 votes out of 56 cast in the Balochistan Assembly, leaving just one for Mr Ahmed. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr Ahmed took the lead by bagging 36 votes against Mr Hussain’s 21. Out of the total 58 electoral votes validly cast in Punjab, Mr Hussain received 54 and Wajihuddin Ahmed four.