ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) presidential candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai has accepted his defeat in the presidential election and congratulated the ruling alliance candidate, Asif Ali Zardari, for securing the presidency for a second time.
Speaking to the media after the announcement of the presidential election results, Achakzai hailed the election process, stating that the country had witnessed a “first-of-its-kind poll” for the coveted post without any “horse-trading.”
Achakzai praised Zardari’s victory as the “beginning of a new era” and thanked PTI-backed lawmakers for their support. However, he voiced disappointment with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the National Party (NP) for abstaining from voting despite earlier commitments.
Regarding Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s decision to boycott the presidential poll, Achakzai said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman has seemingly fallen asleep.
Reflecting on his friendship with incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, Achakzai said that the PTI founder was his friend since the formation of the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), a political alliance formed against then-the dictator Pervaiz Musharraf, to restore real democracy.
Achakzai reaffirmed his commitment to upholding parliamentary sanctity and advocated for constitutional solutions to ensure fair representation of women and minorities in the assemblies, emphasizing the need to respect their constitutional rights.
