Newly-elected National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Sunday summoned the joint session of the Parliament on March 9 to elect the next president of Pakistan.

The speaker called the joint session in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (b) of Rule 9 of the Presidential Election Rules, 1988, said a notification issued by the National Assembly secretariat.

Former President Asif Ali Zardari is contesting for the President’s Office for the second time. He will be up against Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who has the backing of Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) lawmakers.

The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday appointed five presiding officers to conduct the election to the office of the President of Pakistan, in Islamabad and four provincial capitals.

The president is elected by an electoral college comprising members of the Senate, the National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies.

Voting is held through a secret ballot.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif was elected the position of Prime Minister, with 201 votes following the conclusion of the polling process in the freshly minted National Assembly.

Sunni Ittehad Council’s candidate Omar Ayub Khan secured 92 votes.

This marks Shehbaz Sharif’s second consecutive tenure in the PM’s Office, succeeding former prime minister Imran Khan who faced ousting through a no-confidence vote in 2022. Shehbaz managed a 13-party coalition during his 16 months in power.