Islamabad: Pro and anti-Musharraf parties in Pakistan on November 3 claimed separately that they have acquired simple majority to form the government, five days ahead of the convening of the newly elected National Assembly.

Pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Qaide Azam (PML-Q), which has emerged as the single largest party with 120 seats in the 342-member Assembly, has reportedly claimed that it has the support of 180 members.

The claim was made by PML-Q candidate for Prime Minister's post, Zafarullah Khan Jamali, to a local private television channel 'Geo TV'.

Countering the claim by PML-Q, Mutthahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA, an alliance of six hardline religious parties opposed to President Pervez Musharraf's Constitutional amendments), said that the coalition along with the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has secured 175 seats.

Challenging Jamali to prove his majority, MMA's prime ministerial candidate Moulana Fazlur Rehman also told 'Geo TV' that his figures were based on the promises received by him from various parties and leaders who were opposed to Musharraf's Presidency as well as his Constitutional amendments.

However, according to PTV's analysis, both PML-Q and MMA-ARD alliance reached a deadlock by securing support of 168 members each.

The ARD is dominated by Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) and PML-N. The PPPP has won 81 seats and PML-N bagged 19, while the MMA on its own has 68 seats.

Minimum 172 seats are required to stake claim to form the government.

PTI