Co-chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari, has been re-elected as Pakistan's president for a second term, garnering support from the ruling coalition in a parliamentary and regional assembly vote. The Election Commission of Pakistan announced on Saturday that Zardari obtained 411 votes, while his opponent Mehmood Khan Achakzai, backed by the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, received 181 votes.

Zardari, the widower of Pakistan's first female leader Benazir Bhutto, was chosen by the PPP to hold this largely ceremonial position. The PPP formed an alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) party after the February 8 elections, which were marred by allegations of rigging. The coalition pact, including several smaller parties, also resulted in the swearing-in of PMLN's Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister earlier this week.

Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was barred from contesting in the election and instead saw his party members targeted by arrests and censorship. The PTI has accused the government of utilizing a mobile internet blackout and deliberate result delays to mask alleged nationwide rigging against them. Despite winning the most seats in the last month's elections, the PTI fell short of the majority needed to govern, leading to the formation of the PMLN-PPP alliance.

The PTI chairman, barrister Gohar Ali Khan, has declared Zardari's re-election as "unconstitutional" and the party is now in a legal battle regarding the allocation of seats reserved for women and minorities in the assembly.

Zardari, 68, previously assumed the presidency in 2008 following a sympathy vote after the assassination of his wife, Benazir Bhutto. During his previous presidential term, which lasted until 2013, Zardari curtailed the powers of the presidency by making a constitutional amendment. While in office, he faced numerous challenges, including threats from the Taliban and strained relations with the military, particularly after the 2011 United States operation that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

Despite facing corruption allegations and spending over 11 years in jail, Zardari has managed to resurrect his political career and secure another term as Pakistan's president. He is expected to be officially sworn in at a ceremony on Sunday.