Rezaul H Laskar

Islamabad: Yousuf Raza Gilani, a Bhutto loyalist, was today sworn-in as Pakistan's 25th Prime Minister, marking a new phase in the country's turbulent history.

The 55-year-old journalism post-graduate was administered the oath of office by President Pervez Musharraf, whose grip over power has considerably weakened after last month's elections in which slain Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) emerged as the single largest party.

Gilani will head a coalition of PPP, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's PML (N) and Awami National Party that are all committed to further curtail Musharraf's powers.

Even before assuming office, Gilani yesterday ordered the release of Musharraf's bete noire, sacked Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry, and other judges dismissed by the President after clamping emergency rule on November 3 last year.

The new Prime Minister has declared that he would ensure that the Parliament will be supreme.

"Parliament is a reflection of the people and their aspirations. We will work for the supremacy of parliament. We will make parliament supreme in policy-making," he had said on Sunday after filing his nomination papers for the PM's post.

Interestingly, Gilani's swearing-in ceremony was boycotted by top leaders of the ruling coalition, including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML (N) chief Sharif.

Sharif had earlier announced that he would boycott the swearing-in ceremony in view of the presence of Musharraf, whom he calls an "unconstitutional" President.

The reason for the absence of Bilawal and Zardari was not explained.

Earlier, at an impressive function held in the central hall of the Aiwan-e-Sadr or presidency here, Gilani, clad in a black traditional sherwani, was administered the oath of office by Musharraf. PPP leaders shouted "Jiye Bhutto" (Long Live Bhutto) after the ceremony ended.

Gilani is the first premier from the PPP who is not a member of the Bhutto family. A father of five children, he hails from a landowning family in the Punjab city of Multan.

The ceremony was delayed by almost an hour as Gilani had gone to Karachi yesterday to attend the wedding of his son and had to rush back to the federal capital this morning.

Gilani, a tall and friendly-looking man, was yesterday elected the prime minister by a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament.

Musharraf shook hands with Gilani and spoke to him briefly before joining the guests.

The event was attended by outgoing Premier Mohammedmian Soomro, members of interim government, governors and caretaker chief ministers of the four provinces, Speaker Fehmida Mirza, Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi, chiefs of three services, MQM leaders Farooq Sattar and Hyder Abbas Rizvi and PPP leaders Babar Awan, Jehangir Badar and Latif Khosa.

Members of Gilani's Cabinet are likely to be inducted in phases as the PPP and its allies are still to finalise the division of ministers.

The first batch of ministers is likely to be administered the oath by Musharraf later this week after Gilani obtains a vote of confidence from National Assembly.

Source : PTI