International news: Asif Ali Zardari takes oath as the 14th President

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was sworn in as the 14th President of Pakistan on Sunday. Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faiz Isa administered the oath of office to Zardari at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Islamabad. Leaving aside military rulers, Zardari has become the first leader of Pakistan to assume the post of head of state for the second time. Before this, he had held the post of President of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and outgoing President Arif Alvi were also present at the swearing-in ceremony. Apart from this, Pak Army Chief General Asim Munir, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari were also present in the ceremony.

First leader to become head of state for the second time
Zardari, co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was elected the 14th President of Pakistan on Saturday. He got the support of five parties including PML-N. He is the first Pakistani leader to become President for the second time. Although, Iskander Mirza and Pervez Musharraf have been President twice each and Ayub Khan thrice, but all of them were military dictators. Zardari, 68, was the joint candidate of PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He got 255 votes while his rival Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai (75) got 119 votes.