New Prime Minister in Pakistan

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the head of Pakistan’s ruling party and a loyal ally of the nation’s military ruler, was elected caretaker prime minister in a rubber-stamp vote in parliament today.

Hussain was expected to stay in office only for a matter of weeks, until political manoeuvring is completed that will allow respected Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to assume the premiership.

Hussain beat his only challenger 190-to-76. Opposition lawmakers complain that the process has been manipulated behind the scenes by President General Pervez Musharraf.

“I will continue the policies of President Musharraf,” Hussain said after he was elected in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.

He said that his priorities would be to “fight terrorism, improve law and order and eliminate poverty and illiteracy.”

Hussain won with the support of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q party and other smaller groups.

Hussain replaces Zafarullah Khan Jamali, who had served for 19 months but had reportedly fallen out with Musharraf. He tendered his resignation on Saturday, without giving a reason.

The change in prime ministers is unlikely to dramatically alter Pakistan’s commitment to either the US-led war on terror or peace talks with nuclear rival India – matters that are firmly in Musharraf’s hands.

Real authority rests with Musharraf, who took power in a bloodless coup in 1999 and has since decreed changes to the constitution that empower him to dismiss the prime minister and parliament.