ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Dr Arif Alvi has been elected as Pakistan’s 13th President on Tuesday after he received 352 votes in the Electoral College formed to elect among three Candidates the new Head of the State for a five-year term.
The 69-year-old Arif Alvi, full official name Arif Ur Rehman Alvi, was a nominee of ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Dr Arif Alvi will replace Mamnoon Hussain whose five-year term as the president will expire on September 8.
Dr Arif Alvi will take the Oath as the President of Pakistan on September 9, 2018.
In the Presidential Election, held simultaneously today at the Parliament House (Senate and National Assembly) and the four Provincial Assemblies via a secret ballot, the Chief of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Maulana Fazlur Rehman who had been enjoying the support of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) bagged 184 electoral votes while Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Aitzaz Ahsan took 124 votes.
It is worth mentioning that the Electoral College for the Presidential Election consisted of the Senate, National Assembly, Punjab Assembly, Sindh Assembly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and Balochistan Assembly.
In National Assembly and Senate, 430 lawmakers casted their votes for the Presidential Election, in Punjab Assembly 351 out of 354 lawmakers, in Sindh Assembly 158 out of 163, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly 111 out of 112, and in Balochistan Assembly 60 out of 61 lawmakers casted their votes. The PML-N’s Sanaullah Khan Zehri didn’t cast his vote in Balochistan Assembly.
As per the results, in National Assembly and Senate, PTI’s Dr Arif Alvi received 212 votes, Maulana Fazlur Rehman 131 votes, and PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan 81 votes.
In Sindh Assembly, Aitzaz Ahsan received 100 votes, Arif Alvi 56 votes and Maulana Fazlur Rehman took one vote. In Balochistan Assembly, Arif Alvi received 45 votes, Maulana Fazlur Rehman 15 votes whereas Aitzaz Ahsan failed to take a single vote.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Arif Alvi secured 78 votes, Maulana Fazlur Rehman received 26 votes and Aitzaz Ahsan received 5 votes whereas in Punjab Assembly, Arif Alvi took 186 votes, Maulana Fazlur Rehman 141 votes and Aitzaz Ahsan 6 votes.
The PTI’s Arif Alvi upheld his National Assembly membership after he won the general elections 2018 from NA-247 (Karachi South-II). Previously, he was also the member of the National Assembly from June 2013 to May 2018.
Born in Karachi on July 29, 1949, Arif Alvi began his political career from the platform of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) as his father Habib Ur Rehman Illahi Alvi was also a JI’s member.
Dr Arif Alvi was one of the founding members of PTI. In 1996, he became member of the PTI Central Executive Council for a year, and in 1997, he became the President of PTI Sindh.
In 2001, he became the Vice President of PTI, and from 2006 to 2013, he served as the Secretary General of PTI.
Arif Alvi was elected to the National Assembly from NA-250 (Karachi-XII) Constituency in general elections 2013 for the first time. In 2016, he was made the President of PTI Sindh Chapter.
By profession, Arif Alvi is a dentist, and has served as the President of the Asia-Pacific Dental Federation and of the Pakistan Dental Association.
