ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's National Assembly elected as prime minister on Monday Yousaf Raza Gilani, a top official in assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's party, five weeks after it won a general election.
He quickly ordered the immediate release of all judges detained by President Pervez Musharraf after the imposition of emergency rule in November.
"I order the immediate release of detained judges of the superior judiciary," Mr. Gilani told the National Assembly, shortly after it overwhelmingly voted for him to become prime minister.
Mr.Gilani also appealed to judges to resolve disputes through parliament, not through protests.
Yousaf Raza Gilani, the new Prime Minister of Pakistan and a member of assassinated Benazir Bhutto's party, talks to media upon his arrival at Parliament House in Islamabad on Monday. (Anjum Naveed/The Associated Press)
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He won the election for prime minsiter with 264 votes in the 342-seat lower house of parliament, the Speaker told the assembly. The only other contender, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi of the Pakistan Muslim League, that backs Mr. Musharraf, won 42 votes.
The announcement triggered cheers and shouts of "Long Live Bhutto" from supporters in the visitors' gallery. Ms. Bhutto's son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, was also in the gallery and was seen wiping away a tear.
Bhutto party supporters also chanted "Go, Musharraf, go."
"It is because of the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto that democracy is being restored. It is a historic event," Mr. Gilani told the assembly shortly after the announcement.
Ms. Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack blamed on Islamist militants on Dec. 27.
Mr. Gilani, a close aide to Bhutto and a vice-chairman of her party and former National Assembly speaker, had been expected to win the vote with a big majority.
He was backed by members of his Pakistan People's Party and its coalition partners, including the party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, which came second in the Feb. 18 election, and a small pro-Musharraf regional party.
There had been speculation that the PPP would nominate a stop-gap prime minister and Mr. Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, who now leads the party, would take over the post after entering parliament via a by-election.
But the News newspaper on Monday cited Mr. Zardari as rejecting such speculation, saying Mr. Gilani would be prime minister for a full five-year term.
Isolated president
Mr. Gilani, a soft-spoken, resolute character, was jailed in 2001 by the Musharraf government for making illegal appointments but was freed in 2006. He said the charge was politically motivated.
While in prison, Mr. Gilani wrote a book that advocated a strong military, but one that was removed from politics.
He has called for the repeal of constitutional changes made by Mr. Musharraf to bolster his authority, including the power to dismiss a government.
The PPP-led coalition nearly has a two-thirds majority in the two-chamber parliament that is needed to amend the constitution.
On Sunday, Mr. Gilani swore allegiance to Ms. Bhutto and said his government would work for the supremacy of parliament.
Mr. Musharraf, who came to power as a general following a coup in 1999, on Monday assured full support to the incoming government and hoped it would maintain "political peace" and continue the fight against Islamist militants.
He has been politically isolated since the defeat of his allies in last month's election and there is speculation that his old foes now set to form a government will try to force him from power.
The United States and other Western allies fear political instability in their nuclear-armed ally, which is already facing a campaign of attacks by al Qaeda-inspired militants, if there is confrontation between the president and the new government.
Mr. Musharraf will swear in Mr. Gilani on Tuesday. He is expected to begin naming ministers to his cabinet this week.
