Asif Ali Zardari sworn in as Pakistan's 14th President

Asif Ali Zardari sworn in as Pakistan's 14th President, replacing Dr. Arif Alvi after winning by a large margin.

Asif Ali Zardari took oath as Pakistan's 14th President on March 10, a day after the veteran politician was overwhelmingly elected as the next head of country.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath to Mr. Zardari, 68, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the Presidential Palace. He will replace Dr Arif Alvi, who stayed in office for five more months despite completing his five-year term in September 2023.

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The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, all three service chiefs, senior officials and diplomats.

Mr. Zardari, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman, the joint candidate of the ruling alliance, was elected as the country’s president for the second time on March 9, after he defeated PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai by a huge margin.

He secured 411 electoral votes in Parliament and all four provincial assemblies with the backing of allied parties — mainly Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

Mr. Achakzai bagged 181 votes as he secured the majority of votes in the PTI-backed SIC-dominated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.