Islamabad: As pressure over forming a new government in Pakistan mounts, President Pervez Musharraf has convened a meeting of the military-dominated National Security Council (NSC) on November 19 to discuss the emerging political situation and the election of Prime Minister.

His decision to call for an NSC meeting within two days of holding the joint meeting of the Cabinet and NSC surprised officials and political parties. Musharraf held the joint meeting of the Cabinet and NSC on November 16 within hours of taking oath of a five-year term. Members of the newly-elected National Assembly too took oath on the same day.

The November 16 meeting of the Cabinet and NSC was officially stated to be the last meeting of the two bodies as the National Assembly has formally been constituted, marking an end to military rule.

The November 19 NSC meeting would take place around the same time as the election for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker were to be held. Election for the post of Prime Minister would be held on November 21.

Political analysts view the NSC meeting, called within an interval of two days, to be of immense importance as elections to the offices of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker to be held on November 19 would clear to some extent the political stalemate and herald a breakthrough in the efforts of the political parties to form the government.

In view of the November 19 meeting, Musharraf has cancelled all engagements for the day and asked members of the NSC to cancel other activities, the newspaper quoted officials as saying.

PTI