rediff.com: Jamali sworn in as Pakistani prime minister

Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali of the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League--Quaid-e-Azam, was on Saturday sworn in as Pakistan's prime minister along with 21 ministers, in the first civilian government after the 1999 coup.

A powerful figure in southern Baluchistan province, Jamali, 58, was administered the oath of office by President Pervez Musharraf at a function in the presidential palace, attended by top military brass, newly elected parliamentarians, civil officials and diplomatic corps.

Besides the 14 Cabinet ministers and seven ministers of state, Musharraf also administered the oath of office to four advisers to the prime minister, including the outgoing Finance Minister Shoukat Aziz.

The cabinet ministers included three of the 10 defectors from Benazir Bhutto-led Pakistan Peoples Party.

Surprisingly, the leaders of the hardline Islamic alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal also attended the ceremony, after having vowed not to recognise Musharraf's presidency and his controversial constitutional amendments.

MMA's leader Fazlur Rehman, who lost to Jamali, and the alliance's floor leader and chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, also attended the ceremony.

Their presence indicated the divisions among the anti-Musharraf alliance, as the leaders of the PPP and the PML-N of Nawaz Sharif boycotted the swearing-in.

An MMA spokesman has been quoted in the media saying, "We have accepted the results. Jamali is the prime minister no matter how he got it."

The spokesman also said the MMA would play the role of constructive opposition. "We have to act with restraint and moderation."

Jamali has promised to continue Musharraf's policies, including pursuing the war on international terrorism.

Despite Jamali taking over as prime minister, Musharraf would retain ultimate power with the authority to dissolve the parliament and sack the prime minister.

He continues as the chief of the army staff and heads the military-dominated National Security Council, which has the final say on national policy matters.

Jamali's first crucial test will come within two months when he faces a vote of confidence in the National Assembly.

As a precursor to the swearing-in on Saturday, Musharraf dissolved his cabinet on Friday night, a step seen as an attempt to facilitate the smooth transfer of power from the three-year military rule to an elected government.

Jamali's ministry consists of senior party colleagues from the PML-Q, which enjoys a close rapport with Musharraf and supported his presidency and constitutional amendments.

The other federal ministers sworn in include Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, Sheikh Rashid, Zubaida Jalal, Aftab Sherpao, Liaquat Jatoi, Awais Leghari, Faisal Saleh Hayat, Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Naurez Shakoor, Nasir Khan, Ghous Bakhsh Mehar, Yar Mohammad Rind, Abdul Sattar Lalika and Hamyaun Akhtar.

Out of the 14 ministers, Zubaida Jalal is one of the high profile women ministers who had served in Musharraf's cabinet.

She resigned as the minister for education just before the elections and won as an independent from Baluchistan.

Those sworn in as advisers to Jamali include Musharraff's legal advisor Sharifuddin Pirzada, Fateh Ali Imrani, Nelofar Bakhtiar and Shaukat Aziz.

Besides the three defectors from the PPP, the 14 cabinet ministers included a former Benazir supporter from the North West Frontier Province Mummad Sherpao, who left the party few years ago and later joined the pro-Musharraf alliance.

Surprisingly the Muttahida Quami Movement, which voted for Jamali in the prime ministerial election, has declined to join his Cabinet.

It appears that the MMA is most likely to form the government in the NWFP, as it has managed a simple majority.

None of the other political parties have managed to secure a majority in the other three provinces of Sindh, Punjab and Baluchistan.

In Sindh, the PPP emerged as the single largest party with 51 seats in the 130-member assembly. The MQM came in second with 31 seats.

In Punjab, the PML-Q emerged as the single largest party with 128 seats in the 297-member provincial assembly. The PPP has won 63 and the PML-N got 40.

In Baluchistan too the PML-Q got 15 seats against MMA's 13 in the 51-member Assembly.

Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, in a message congratulating Jamali, said, "I firmly believe that through concerted efforts, the comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan will be further deepened and expanded."

In a separate statement, the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, Li Peng, greeted Chaudhary Amir Hussain, recently elected speaker of the Pakistan's national assembly.

Li expressed belief that Hussain's tenure will strengthen the relations between the two countries parliaments.


	HOME \| NEWS \| PTI \| REPORT