Moderate Musharraf Loyalist Elected Pakistan's New Prime Minister

Pakistan's new parliament elected Zafarullah Khan Jamali, a moderate known for his unswerving loyalty to the military regime, as prime minister yesterday. He will head Pakistan's first civilian government for three years.

The military president, Pervez Musharraf, who announced two days ago he was handing control to the new civilian government, retains considerable power.

Mr Jamali's pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League will govern with the support of dissident members of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's party, and independent MPs.

Few observers expect the new coalition to survive its full term. "It's a parlour game here to guess how long the new government will last. Estimates go from six months to two years," one western diplomat said.

Yesterday's vote follows six weeks of murky deal-making between political leaders. No party gained an overall majority in the elections on October 10 - the first since Gen Musharraf seized power in a coup in 1999.

Earlier this month a pro-Taliban cleric, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, was even thought to be in line for the top job. Yesterday, however, Mr Jamali gathered 172 out of 329 votes cast, while Mr Rehman mustered only 86. Mrs Bhutto's nominee, Shah Mahmood Quereshi, got 70. Ten members of Mrs Bhutto's party broke ranks to vote for Mr Jamali.

Despite his pledge to step down, Gen Musharraf retains his post as the head of the army. He also continues as president following a dubious referendum in April giving him another five-year term.

He recently awarded himself the power to sack the new prime minister and dissolve parliament.

A married man, with four sons and a daughter, Mr Jamali's moderate Islamic views are likely to endear him to Washington and London. He signalled yesterday that he would continue with Gen Musharraf's support for America's war on terrorism.

But he can expect strong criticism from Pakistan's alliance of religious parties, the MMA, which did well in the general election. Yesterday Qazi Hussain Ahmed, its vice-president, said he still wanted US troops to leave Pakistan immediately.

"Our freedoms have been snatched. Foreign bases have been set up here. We will not allow this," he said.