A day after Asif Ali Zardari was elected as new President of Pakistan, China on Sunday extended its wish saying that both the countries are good neighbours, good friends, good partners and good brothers.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a congratulatory message to Zardari said that the “iron-clad friendship” between the two countries is a “choice of history” and the “strategic significance” of the ties has become more “prominent” in the light of current changes in the world.
According to the media reports, Xi also said, “the two countries have in recent years maintained close high-level exchanges, supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns, achieved fruitful results in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and maintained a high level of development of bilateral relations,” state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Asif Ali Zardari elected as the 14th president of Pakistan on Saturday after securing an overwhelming majority on Saturday, defeating the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed candidate, Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
Zardari securing 255 votes in a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate for the presidential election, according to unofficial reports. His opponent, SIC-backed Mahmood Khan Achakzai, managed just 119 votes.
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Zardari, widower of Pakistan’s late first female premier Benazir Bhutto, has faced numerous allegations of corruption and other charges, including involvement in kidnapping plots and receiving kickbacks. Despite these controversies, a sympathy vote following his wife’s assassination in a 2007 bomb and gun attack has seemingly propelled him to office.
The new president will replaced Dr Arif Alvi, whose five-year term ended last year. However, Dr Alvi has continued in office since the new Electoral College had not yet been formed.
Having spent over 11 years in jail, Asif Ali Zardari’s tenure behind bars surpasses the typical duration experienced by Pakistani politicians. Despite this, he has displayed a remarkable talent for bouncing back after scandals. In 2009, The New York Times described him as possessing a knack for “artful dodging,” adept at maneuvering himself out of tight spots he finds himself in.
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