ISLAMABAD, (DNA) –  Voting has begun in legislatures to elect the 13^th president of the country in a three-way contest as the ruling party candidate, Dr Arif Alvi, is assured an easy win owing to failure of the opposition parties to field a joint candidate. 

There are 706 votes in the Electoral College and 354 votes are needed to win the coveted post.

The polling began at 10:00 am and will continue  without break till 4:00pm. Members of the both house of Parliament and four provincial assemblies will cast their votes in the election.

Two polling booths have been set up in the National Assembly as Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Raza and Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Anwar Kasi are discharging their responsibilities as returning officer and presiding officer, respectively.

The polling has also begun at the Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhhwa assemblies where the chief justices of the respective provinces have been appointed as presiding officers.

As many as 1,121 legislators will cast their votes in the election to the top constitutional office of president.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is most likely to take the Presidency as it has the highest number of party votes in the electoral college for the election.

The ruling party has pitched Dr Arif Alvi who faces Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, fielded by the opposition parties led by the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), and the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) presidential candidate Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan.

The PTI leads the electoral college for the election with 361 votes while the strength of the joint opposition, including the PPP and PML-N, stands at 326.

Strict security arrangements have been put in place at the National Assembly, the four provincial assemblies and the Senate for the occasion.