Asif Ali Zardari sworn in as Pakistan's 14th President
Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday took oath as Pakistan's 14th President, a day after the veteran politician staged a remarkable comeback when he was overwhelmingly elected as the only civilian president of the coup-prone country for a second time. Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath to the 68-year-old Zardari in a small yet formal ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the Presidential Palace.
Zardari replaces Dr Arif Alvi, who stayed in office for five months after completing his five-year term in September 2023.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza among other senior army and civilian officials and diplomats.
The outgoing president Alvi, a senior member of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, also attended the oath-taking ceremony.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Zardari's son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, his daughters Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari and other family members were present on the occasion.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated Zardari on his election as the president for the second term.
In a message, Shehbaz Sharif said that the Senate, National Assembly and elected members of all the four provincial assemblies have expressed their confidence in Zardari. He said that the Zardari will be a symbol of the
