Fata and PML-Q parliamentarians to support Zardari

Parliamentarians from Fata and more than 20 lawmakers from the PML-Q announced on Friday they would support the PPP candidate Asif Ali Zardari in presidential election being held today (Saturday) in parliament and the four provincial assemblies. Fata MNAs' parliamentary leader Munir Orakzai said that Fata MNAs and Senators would vote for Zardari in the greater national interest.
After an Iftar dinner at the Prime Minister House, he told the media persons that Fata parliamentarians had been assured that future policy about Fata would be framed in the parliament. The government would also take the legislators of the tribal areas into confidence about any initiative the government wanted to take regarding the agencies, he added.
The Iftar dinner was also attended by more than 20 MNAs/senators of the PML-Q and they also pledged their support to Zardari. The prominent PML-Q leaders who attended the dinner included Riaz Fatyana, Jan Muhammad Jamali, Kashmala Tariq and others. They said they would support Zardari in order to strengthen democracy in the country.
The parliamentarians from Fata and PML (Q) would further strengthen the PPP candidate in the presidential race, who is expected to get more votes than expected. In his message, the PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said that the overwhelming support for his candidature by the three provincial assemblies, the Northern Areas Legislative Assembly and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is a vote of endorsement for a strong federation, he said.
"There is also a consensus in the country that an empowered Federation alone can stand up to challenges that are threatening the stability of the nation. A robust Pakistan can only be ensured by a candidate who has the support of a majority of political forces," he added. "We must not forget that last year, we had an election for the same post under a process that was unanimously declared as non-democratic by all the national and international political forces," he remarked.
Political analysts are of the view that Zardari victory in presidential vote has already been sealed. There is very little chance that annoyed elements in the PPP will vote against him. The PML (N) is said to have been not in hot pursuit for the slot as the party of the view that its president if succeeded in the vote will deliver nothing according to the promises the party made with the people.