Imran Khan's close ally Arif Alvi elected new Pakistan president

Islamabad: Dr Arif Alvi, one of the founding members of Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, was elected as the new President of Pakistan on Tuesday, according to media reports. 

Alvi defeated Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Aitzaz Ahsan and the Pakistan Muslim League-N nominee Maulana Fazl ur Rehman in a three-way contest to become the 13th president. 

Of the 430 votes cast in the National Assembly and Senate, Alvi received 212 votes, Rehman bagged 131 and Ahsan garnered 81; six votes were rejected, DawnNews reported, citing unofficial results.

Alvi secured 45 of the 60 votes cast by the Balochistan's newly elected lawmakers, it said. In the PPP-dominated Sindh Assembly, Ahsan got 100 votes, while Alvi bagged 56. Just a solitary vote was cast in the favour of Rehman. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Alvi received 78 of the total 109 votes, while Rehman and Ahsan got 26 and five votes respectively.

In Pakistan, the President is considered as a symbol of the federation and head of the state and exercises all powers on the recommendations of the prime minister.

Outgoing President Mamnoon Hussain's tenure ends on September 8.

A dentist by profession, 69-year-old Alvi is one of the founding members of PTI. He served as the party's secretary general from 2006 to 2013. He won the National Assembly elections from NA-247 (Karachi) during the July 25 polls. He was also elected member of the National Assembly in the 2013 general election.