Islamabad: Amid continued deadlock over the formation of the government, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on November 2 summoned the newly elected National Assembly to meet on November 8 for its members to take oath.

Musharraf has summoned the National Assembly to meet on November 8. The newly elected members of the Parliament would take oath in the first session of the Assembly, an official announcement said.

The announcement followed criticism from the mainstream parties that the government deliberately delayed the convening of the National Assembly, where the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Qaide Azam (PML-Q) has failed to secure majority.

However, undeterred by its failure to secure support from other parties, the PML-Q elected a political lightweight from North West Baluchistan province, Zafarullah Khan Jamali, as its Prime Ministerial candidate and staked its claim to form the government.

The party which claims to have 122 members in the 342-member House needed the support of 172 members to secure simple majority. It claims to have the support of the National Alliance consisting of leaders of small parties, which has won 16 seats taking to the total of 138 seats. It hopes to make up for the rest of the seats with the support of other independents and regional parties, including the Sindh based Muthahida Quami Movement (MQM).

Jamali, who was the caretaker Chief Minister of Baluchistan in the past has been chosen on the grounds to provide representation to the country's smallest province, while the bulk of the party members were elected from the majority Punjab province.

PTI