Pervez Musharraf Names Mian Soomro as Interim Prime Minister of Pakistan

Pakistan President Pervz Musharraf stayed close to his allies on Thursday, naming Mian Soomro as interim prime minister leading up to the parliamentary vote that are scheduled to take place before Jan. 9.

Soomro will be sworn in on Friday, days ahead of Pakistan’s parliament and provincial assemblies’ scheduled dissolution.

As interim prime minister, Soomro will oversee the parliamentary process leading up to the early January vote.

The move to name Soomro interim prime minister was expected as Musharraf has been criticized by opposition leaders as well as the international community for suspending the country’s constitution and issuing a state of emergency.

Vocal opponent and former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, has called upon Musharraf to step down alleging that the president has moved the country away from democracy and pushed it closer to a military dictatorship.

Bhutto is currently under house arrest while several other opposition leaders have been jailed and face terrorism charges.

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