Special report: Pakistani Situation    

Newly elected Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani (R Front) is sworn in by President Pervez Musharraf (L Front) in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on March 25, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    ISLAMABAD, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's newly-elected Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani took oath of office at the President's House here on Tuesday.

    The oath-taking was administered by President Pervez Musharraf and attended by the National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza, some political parties leaders and senior military officers.

    The participants applauded when Gillani took oath. Gillani and Musharraf shook hands at the end of the brief ceremony.

    Top leaders of the ruling coalition including chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari did not show up at the ceremony.

    After the oath-taking, Musharraf and Gillani shifted to another hall in the President's House where they would hold a meeting, local media reported.

    Gillani was elected as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan, bagging 264 votes in the 342-member National Assembly.

    The PML-N central leader Javed Hashmi Monday said that no parliamentarians from PML-N would participate in Gillani's oath-taking ceremony and they had informed PPP about their decision.

    Gillani gave his first order that the deposed judges who had been under house arrest since an emergency was imposed in November last year be released.

    Gillani was born of a politician family in the eastern Punjab province in 1952. He served as the Speaker of the National Assembly during the second tenure of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. He was arrested and put into prison in 2001 on charges of power abuse and released four years later.  

Pakistan's new gov't faces challenges ahead

    ISLAMABAD, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Newly-elected Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani on Tuesday was sworn in by President Pervez Musharraf at the presidential house here in Islamabad, a sign that the new government is taking shape. Full story

Pakistan's ruling coalition decides on 5 key ministers

    ISLAMABAD, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's ruling coalition has reached consensus on posts of five major ministries, and Shah Mehmood Qureshi from Pakistan People's Party (PPP) would be foreign minister in the upcoming cabinet, sources said on Tuesday. Full story

Spokesman: Pakistan to chalk out new anti-terrorism policy

    ISLAMABAD, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Interior Ministry would spell out its action plan to curb the menace of terrorism under the policy guidelines of new Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, a ministry spokesman said here Tuesday. Full story

Pakistan's PM-elect to seek UN probe into Bhutto's assassination

    LAMABAD, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Prime Minister-elect Yousaf Raza Gillani on Monday demanded a probe by the United Nations into the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

    While addressing the National Assembly after he was elected as the new prime minister, Gillani said the National Assembly should pass a resolution demanding a U.N. probe into Bhutto's assassination.  Full story

Pakistan's deposed chief justice makes first appearance from house arrest

    ISLAMABAD, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry appeared at the terrace of his residence on Monday evening, the first time in almost five months of his house arrest.

    Chaudhry's appearance came after the Pakistani Prime Minister-elect Yousaf Raza Gillani demanded immediate release of all detained judges while making his first address as prime minister in the National Assembly.  Full story

PPP's Gillani named as Pakistan's PM candidate 

This picture taken on March 19, 2008 shows Yousaf Raza Gillani, senior leader of Pakistan People's Party (PPP).(Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    ISLAMABAD, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's leading political party Saturday nominated Yousuf Raza Gillani as the new prime minister of the country, according to local TV channels.

    Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari announced the nomination in a statement read out to the media by PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar. Full story

Nomination papers for Pakistan's new PM accepted

    ISLAMABAD, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's National Assembly secretariat Sunday accepted nomination papers of the two candidates for the office of prime minister.

    The nomination papers of the incoming ruling coalition Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and Pakistan Muslim League (Q) candidate Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi were accepted during the scrutiny. Full story

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