Musharraf wins presidential polls with a heavy majority(lead: Musharraf)

Unofficial results of the presidential elections in Pakistan have declared President General Pervez Musharraf the winner with a heavy majority.

Islamabad, Oct.6 Unofficial results of the presidential elections in Pakistan have declared President General Pervez Musharraf the winner with a heavy majority.

State television reports said that Musharraf had won Saturday's polls with a clean sweep.

According to unofficial results, President Musharraf has bagged 252 votes in the parliament, while Justice Wajih has got two votes, while three votes have been rejected.

In the voting process in the Punjab Assembly, Musharraf bagged 253 votes and Justice Wajih three, while in the Sindh Assembly, Musharraf bagged 102 votes out of total 104 cast votes and Justice Wajih got two votes.

In NWFP Assembly, Musharraf has bagged 31 votes, Justice Wajih got one vote, while two votes were rejected.

Musharraf bagged all 33 votes cast in Balochistan Assembly.

Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retired) Qazi Muhammad Farooq was the returning officer for the presidential election. High Court chief justices were presiding officers at their respective provincial assemblies.

The vote process, which started at 10:00 a.m., concluded at 3 p.m.

Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party parliamentarians decided to abstain from the vote.

Under Friday's Supreme Court ruling, the results of the election would not be formally announced till the court's verdict on constitutional petitions under hearing in the apex court.

The polling at the Parliament House began as Senator Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi cast the first vote in the parliament, after which other parliamentarians started casting their votes.

In the National Assembly, 199 members exercised their right to vote. In the Senate, 57 members voted, Punjab Assembly (257), Sindh Assembly (104), NWFP (34) and Balochistan (33) members cast their votes.

Former Minister of State Shahid Jameel who has been arrested in Kafeela Siddiqui murder case was brought to the assembly from jail on production orders issued by the NA speaker.

Qari Gul Rahman, Muttahida Majalis Amal MNA from Karachi also cast his vote.

Stringent security measures were taken in Islamabad and the provinces on the occasion. Musharraf 'wins presidency vote' Musharraf won all but five of the votes cast in parliament's two houses and swept the ballots in three of four provincial assemblies, election officials said.

Most opposition parties boycotted the vote, saying it was unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court says no winner can be declared until it decides whether Musharraf can stand as a presidential candidate while being the country's army chief.

ANI