(Daily Point) — In Pakistan, the process of electing a new president stands out for its expansiveness compared to the election of other constitutional positions, such as the prime minister.

While the prime minister, Senate chairman, and speakers of national and provincial assemblies are chosen by a single legislature, the president is elected by six houses: the Senate of Pakistan, National Assembly, and the provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This month, over 1100 lawmakers will participate in the voting process, but their votes will not carry equal weight.

Weightage Formula: The president represents the federation of Pakistan, so all provincial assemblies have an equal say in the election. Votes in the provincial assemblies are divided by the total strength of the smallest provincial assembly, which is Balochistan. For instance, the 371 votes of the Punjab Assembly will be divided by 65, the total seats in the Balochistan Assembly, resulting in a weightage score of 5.71 after rounding off. Therefore, 5.71 votes in favor of a candidate in the Punjab Assembly equal one vote.

Ballots cast in the Senate and National Assembly are counted normally, with one valid ballot paper cast in favor of a candidate counting as one vote.

Polling Stations: Presidential election polling is conducted at the Parliament in Islamabad and the provincial assemblies in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar. The chief election commissioner serves as the returning officer, appointing presiding officers to oversee the polling. In March 2024, chief judges of high courts in Sindh, KP, Balochistan, and Islamabad, along with an ECP member in Punjab, were appointed as presiding officers.

One ballot paper is issued to each lawmaker in the Senate, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies, with candidates’ names listed alphabetically. The election is conducted via secret ballot as mandated by the Constitution.

Results: The candidate securing the highest number of votes becomes the president, with the result announced by the chief election commissioner and notified to the federal government, which issues a notification.

Oath of Office: The chief justice of Pakistan administers the oath of office to the president, as outlined in the Constitution. President Arif Alvi, who assumed office in September 2018, was sworn in by then CJP Justice Saqib Nisar, succeeding Mamnoon Hussain from PMLN.

Role of the President: While largely ceremonial, the president serves as the head of the state but not the government. Despite this, Presidents Alvi and Asif Ali Zardari have been notably active. Zardari, in particular, wielded considerable power upon assuming office in 2008 but relinquished most authority to parliament. President Alvi, meanwhile, has utilized his ceremonial position to influence political events, including attempting to block the inaugural session of the new parliament, albeit ultimately relenting.