LAHORE - The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with only 16 members in the provincial assembly managed to secure a significant victory in a bid for presidential seat in Punjab assembly. PPP and PML-N coalition candidate Asif Ali Zardari swept the Presidential election in Punjab Assembly securing 246 votes of total 352 cast votes while his opponent Mehmood Khan Achakzai received 100 votes from the house, while 6 votes were rejected of the total cast votes. The vote for President of the country, were cast in the provincial Assembly, from 10 am to 4 pm. During the polling, the presiding officer in the house ordered to close the doors of the assembly hall. Following Asif Ali Zardari’s victory, celebration erupted among PPP Punjab leadership, workers in the provincial capital. The jubilant scenes engulfed The Mall, Charing Cross and the Governor House in provincial capital as the delighted supporters of PPP adorned The Mall with party banners, signboards and party flags celebrating their joy on the victory. Prominent PPP leaders including Hassan Murtaza, Ch Aslam Gill, Usman Malik along with a great score of party activists celebrated Zardari’s overwhelming triumph. The Mall echoed with party anthems and the supporters distributed sweets among the people. Apart from that spectacular fireworks enlightened the night sky, PPP supporters chanted slogan such as ‘Ek Zardari Sab Pay Bhari’ and ‘Ab ki Bari Asif Zardari’ expressing the widespread jubilation among the masses. Speaking to The Nation, senior leader of PPP, Syed Hasan Murtaza termed Zardari’s victory as good omen for the democracy in the country. Murtaza hailed Zardari as the only political leader to be elected president twice in the entire political history of Pakistan. Praising Zardari’s devotion to democracy within the country he said that President Zardari strengthened the democracy by giving up his powers to parliament during his first tenure as president. He lauded potent contributions, citing passing of the 18th Amendment, distribution of equal proportional share of wealth among the provinces through National Finance Commission (NFC) award besides voicing for the rights of Balochistan. Additionally, he had inaugurated Pak- Iran gas pipeline project to combat energy crisis within the country. Murtaza believes that Zardari’s reconciliation policy will play a pivotal role in resolving and eliminating political polarization from the country. PPP parliamentary leader in Punjab Assembly who also performed the duties of poling agent for Zardari expressed confidence that Zardari’s political wisdom will successfully navigate Pakistan through it’s crisis. Gillani also extended his gratitude towards PPP parliamentary party members, members of PML-N and PML-Q for their overwhelming support for Zardari’s presidential election.