Lahore: Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf is expected to transfer power to an elected government by mid-November, Law Minister Khalid Ranjha said on October 19.

"The transfer of power may take place after Senate elections scheduled to be held on November 10," Ranjha said.

However, critics say that a series of amendments Musharraf passed before the October 10 elections, including the power to sack the Parliament, have cemented his and the military's ability to control the government.

Pakistan held the Parliamentary elections three years after Musharraf staged a bloodless coup that toppled the elected government of Nawaz Sharif.

The polls resulted in a hung Parliament, as none of the major political parties could muster the absolute majority to form a government.

The pro-government Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) won 77 seats compared with 63 for the main Opposition Pakistan People's Party of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

An alliance of six Islamic parties, the Muttahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), holds the balance of power in the legislature after its surprise victory in 45 of the 272 constituencies.

While party leaders have been hectically consulting with each other for more than a week, no clear picture on who could lead the country's first civilian government since 1999 has emerged.

Ranjha said that Musharraf would summon the newly elected National Assembly (Lower House) at a date to be announced some time during the week of October Prior to convening the parliament, Musharraf will also order the reinstatement of the country's 1973 Constitution, which has been suspended since the coup.

The revival of the Constitution order will occur on November 1 or 2, Ranjha said.

However, the minister said that amendments the President made, which critics say still enable Musharraf to control the country, will be incorporated in the revived Constitution.

Some of the controversial Constitutional changes that Musharraf announced in August include giving him the power to sack the Legislature and the establishment of a joint military and civilian National Security Council to oversee the government.

The country is at present being governed under a provisional Constitution order.