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Jamali set to take oath as Pakistan PM today

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD NOV. 20. The rebel Muslim League alias `king's party' nominee, Mir Zaffarullah Jamali, is all set to take over as the Prime Minister of Pakistan tomorrow, thanks to the generous help from the Musharraf regime and serious differences among the anti-Musharraf parties. The National Assembly meets tomorrow to ascertain "the member who commands the confidence of the majority.''

In the 342 National Assembly, constituted after the October 10 election, the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) emerged as the single largest party with 118 members. A series of actions by the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, has facilitated it to reach the magic number.

Some of the actions by the military regime were patently brazen. These include suspension of the provisions in the Constitution related to anti-defection law and a deal with the Muttahida Qami Movement (MQM) that has 17 members in the Assembly. The inordinate delay of 37 days in summoning the inaugural session was also seen as a measure to shore up the strength of the `king's party.'

The victory of Mr. Jamali is taken for granted after the rebel Muslim League succeeded on Tuesday in getting its nominees elected as Speaker and Deputy Speaker. While its candidate for Speaker won by 167 votes, nominee for Deputy Speaker got 163 votes. As and when Mr. Jamali takes over as the Prime Minister, it would be for the first time in the history of Pakistan that a person from Baluchistan would occupy the coveted post.

Interestingly after the October election, Gen. Musharraf amended his earlier law related to restriction on a person who has been Prime Minister or Chief Minister twice. In a move considered Jamali specific the new law entitles a person who was a caretaker Chief Minister during one of his tenures to be the Prime Minister. Barring a last minute understanding between the alliance of religious parties and the Benazir party, the Assembly tomorrow would witness a three-way contest. Mr. Jamali on behalf of the pro-Musharraf Grand National Alliance, Fazlur Rehman, chief of the Jamaat Ulema Islami of his faction and nominee of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal and Shah Mehmood Qureshi from the Pakistan People's Party are in the race.

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