ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari was presented guard of honor at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad as he assumed office of the President of Pakistan today.
During the ceremony, the national anthem was played while smartly turned-out contingents of the Armed Forces of Pakistan presented him salute. The President inspected the guard of honor.
Later, the President Zardari was introduced with the staff of the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
On Sunday Asif Ali Zardari has taken oath as the 14th President of Pakistan.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath to Asif Ali Zardai at a ceremony held at the President House in Islamabad.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, former Prime Minister and PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif, parliamentarians, political leaders, Services Chiefs and other high officials attended the ceremony.
Asif Ali Zardari, as a joint candidate of the PML-N and the PPP, defeated Sunni Ittehad Council candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai in the presidential elections held on Saturday.
Asif Ali Zardari is the first elected president of Pakistan, who succeeded in reaching the president office for a second time.
Earlier, he served as the 11th President of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013 and was the first politician to complete a full term in office.
Under 18th Amendment, he gave away the presidential powers to strengthen parliamentary democracy and bolstered provincial autonomy, and coined political reconciliation. President Asif Ali Zardari, during his first term, also helped policies that encompassed freedom of media, revolutionized telecommunications, revived Pakistan’s energy sector, opened Pakistan to foreign direct investment and strengthen state-owned enterprises.
The PPP government under his leadership got a consensus among all the political parties on the seventh National Finance Commission award which increased provinces’ financial autonomy.
The PPP-led government also unveiled the Aghaz-i-Huqooq-i-Balochistan package aimed at fast track progress and development in the province.
To eradicate crippling polio disease from the country, President Asif Ali Zardari also launched Pakistan’s National Emergency Action Plan 2011.
