Raja Parvez Ashraf elected as new Pak PM

Pakistan National Assembly on Friday chose Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader and former Water and Power Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf as Pakistan's new Prime Minister. In out of 342 parliamentarian's vote, he won the 211 as against Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) candidate Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi who got 89.

Pak President Asif Ali Zardari administered him the oath of the office later on Friday night.

Besides, Raja, 27 federal minister and 11 ministers of state also took oath to form a new cabinet.

However, Raja Parvez Ashraf, was not the original choice of President Zardari, he was the second choice after former Textile Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin. A special court just after the announcement of Shahabuddin's name had issued an arrest warrant in alleged drug scandal when he was Health Minister, which restrained him from being country's 25^th PM.

However, Ashraf's name is also dogged by corruption charges relating waku doki to his tenure as Power Minister.

He will remain 25^th PM of Pakistan for next eight months as next general election is scheduled after that.

But, Ashraf's election as PM can irk Supreme Court as he is also a Bhutto family loyalist and tainted minister. The apex court can also ask him to reopen the graft cases against Pak President Zardari.

--With Agencies Input--