President Zardari casts his vote by post

The Express Tribune

President Asif Ali Zardari has cast his vote through the postal ballot system ahead of Saturday’s landmark general election, his spokesperson confirmed. “Yes he has cast his vote through a postal ballot,” presidency spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said. The postal balloting system was introduced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure maximum participation of the voters. The voters to whom postal ballots are issued will not be entitled to vote in person at the polling stations. It is unclear if Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will vote. Babar said that the party chairman had been denied permission to avail the postal ballot facility. Party officials have said the threats against Bilawal are too serious for him to appear in public. On Thursday, the last day for electioneering, Bilawal had to resort to a pre-recorded video message to address a political gathering in Rawalpindi. Zardari’s two daughters, Aseefa and Bakhtawar, though, have been granted permission to cast their votes by post, the spokesperson said, providing no further information. The precise whereabouts of the family has not been announced.