Pakistan's caretaker prime minister stands down
Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain announced his resignation today after just two months in office, as part of an orchestrated power transfer that will see the finance minister take his place by the end of the week.
“I am thankful to the nation and the parliament. Shaukat Aziz will take office as elected prime minister in a few days,” Hussain, 59, told the National Assembly.
Opposition parties have derided the change in prime ministers as an affront to democracy, but government leaders have hailed it as a peaceful transfer in a country with a history of political volatility.
Hussain, who is chief of the ruling Pakistan’s Muslim League-Q party, took office on June 30 to replace Zafarullah Khan Jamali who lost the confidence of the PML-Q and President General Pervez Musharraf, the country’s dominant military leader.
Hussain’s anointed successor, Finance Minister Aziz, is set to face a parliamentary vote for the premiership on Friday, officials said. That is seen as a formality as parliament is dominated by lawmakers loyal to Musharraf.
Aziz would then be expected to take the oath of office on Saturday, officials said.
It was not immediately clear who would act as prime minister until Aziz takes office.
Officials have said it could be the speaker of the National Assembly, Chaudhry Ameer Hussain, or Musharraf could ask Hussain to stay on for a couple more days.
