Mamnoon Hussain, a textile businessman who once served briefly as governor of the southern Sindh province, was elected president of Pakistan by lawmakers on Tuesday.
The victory of Hussain, who was nominated by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N party, was widely expected, according to Businessweek.
The position of the president in Pakistan is largely ceremonial and is chosen by the country’s lawmakers in the Senate, National Assembly and the assemblies of four provinces.
“I am no longer affiliated with one party as I am the president of Pakistan,” Hussain said shortly after being elected, the Hindustan Times.
Hussain will take the place of controversial President Asif Ali Zardari, who will likely leave his post in September after five years, according to the New York Times.
Zardari struggled with enduring accusations of corruption and was frequently at odds with Pakistan’s military and judiciary leaders.
Despite the position being mostly ceremony, the struggles facing Pakistan put a spotlight on its political leadership.
Early Tuesday, Taliban members performed a bold jailbreak in Dera Ismail Khan, freeing 250 prisoners, 30 of whom were militants.
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