KARACHI, Sept 6: The result was a forgone conclusion. However, judging from the response of both friends and those who were formerly perceived as foes after Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari secured all the eligible votes in the Sindh Assembly for the presidential election on Saturday, there seemed to be a genuine air of jubilation within the assembly hall and outside it.

As soon as Sindh High Court Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, who was the presiding officer, announced the result of the poll at around 3.15pm in the assembly chamber, the hall erupted with celebratory victory cries. There were embraces and plenty of pats on the back as the PPP lawmakers, along with their coalition partners and members of the opposition, congratulated each other.

Speaking to the press outside the assembly after the election, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who was accompanied by Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, Senior Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, Local Bodies Minister Agha Siraj Durrani and Leader of the Opposition Jam Madad Ali, profusely thanked all the political forces which had ensured a clean sweep for Mr Zardari in Sindh.

At the top of the list was Pir Pagara, whose Pakistan Muslim League-F did not reveal its cards till a few minutes before polling closed at 3pm. The word in the Press Gallery was that Asif Zardari had personally phoned Pir Sahib on Saturday afternoon, which apparently did the trick as the Functional League contingent, accompanied by those of the PML-Q who had not joined the pro-PPP ‘forward bloc,’ marched into the assembly hall at about 2.40pm to cast their ballots.

The chief minister also thanked Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain, praising him for taking the “first step” by endorsing Mr Zardari. National People’s Party head Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, the Awami National Party and Ghous Baksh Mahar were also thanked.

Qaim Ali Shah took great pride in the fact that the Q League’s legislators in Sindh had voted for Mr Zardari and had not listened to their own party chief Chaudhry Shuja’at Hussain.

“A good tradition in democracy has been set, which will strengthen it. This will ensure constitutional sovereignty. Asif Ali Zardari is the most suitable candidate. He himself has said that he wants parliament to be supreme,” the chief minister said.

When Jam Madad Ali, who had perhaps received the most thunderous reception by the legislators when he was called up to vote, was asked to comment on the result, he said it was the voice of the people of Sindh. When asked if the PML-F was expecting any ministries in return for their endorsement of Mr Zardari, Jam Madad said his party’s support had no strings attached.

Reportedly, the chief minister and other PPP top brass rushed to the Race Course, where Pir Pagara was present, to thank him for his support right after speaking to the press.

Speaking earlier, Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza said that it was the first time that a “people’s president” would be in office. He said previous PPP governments had been given 100 per cent responsibility, but only 50 per cent powers; now the party had full responsibility and total control.

Stressing that political stability in the country was the need of the hour, Information Minister Shazia Marri told the media that the PPP had always struggled to establish democratic traditions.

But perhaps the most interesting comment one observed was from way outside the assembly compound.

As this reporter walked up to the assembly premises in the morning, standing by the hefty contingent of police that stood guard at the entry of the road running parallel to the assembly entrance, an elderly man with an umbrella held up a placard which read: ‘Vote Zardari. Save Pakistan.’

It just may be that the umbrella accompanying the placard was a harbinger of the tough times and many storms ‘President’ Zardari has waiting for him.