Islamabad, Pakistan: September 6, 2008 – IR Summary/Agencies/AFP - The election authorities have started voting today in a presidential election and Asif Ali Zardari, the slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's widower, has better chances to win; he has overall political advantages to move to the victory despite opposition by former Prime Minister Sharif, who He told a parliamentary meeting of lawmakers that they should vote for Siddiqui.

Zardari is the most favorite candidate in the frontline state in the US-led "war on terror," a country riven by Islamic militancy and economic turmoil. The secret voting began amidst tight security, it started at 10.A.M. in the two chambers of parliament and four provincial assemblies.

Zardari is a controversial leader and is surrounded by secret enemies, keeping fear in view he had moved house, nine months after Bhutto was killed at a campaign rally.

The fear is still prevailing, even there was an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, whose car was hit by sniper fire as it drove to meet him at an airport on Wednesday.

Nearly 1,200 people have been killed in bombings and suicide attacks across Pakistan in the past year, in unrest seen as a backlash by militants angry at former president Pervez Musharraf's support for the United States.
Musharraf's August 18 resignation in the face of impeachment charges triggered the election.

Zardari , 53, will face a multitude of other problems if he defeats his two opponents, retired chief justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, who is backed by former premier Nawaz Sharif, and Mushahid Hussain, a close aide of Musharraf.

The economy is backsliding with inflation rampant and a volatile political situation contributing to a 40 percent fall on the stock market since January, in a country already reliant on foreign aid.

Zardari's aides were Saturday confident of victory in the ballot.
"We have a clear majority and our candidate will bag the maximum votes," said Pakistan People's Party (PPP) president Makhdoom Amin Fahim. (Full)