ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s parliament dissolved at midnight on November 15 to be replaced by a caretaker government ahead of general elections due in January, officials said. President Pervez Musharraf named Pakistan’s current Senate chief to lead a caretaker government that will steer the emergency-ruled nation toward elections in January.

Hours before parliament was dissolved at the end of its five-year term, he settled on close ally Mohammedmian Soomro, a former banker aged 57 and member of Musharraf’s own ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q party.

Soomro, a former banker, was sworn-in as caretaker Prime Minister with the military ruler saying he had "introduced the essence of democracy" in Pakistan. Soomro and other members of the interim set-up were administered the oath of office by Musharraf at Aiwan-e-Sadr or presidency during a ceremony attended by a large number of dignitaries including members of the outgoing government.

"We are creating history today because never has Pakistan seen such a smooth transition of government," Musharraf, wearing a dark bandh gala coat, said in his brief address. "I take pride in the fact that I have introduced the essence of democracy, whether any one believes it or not," the General said. Soomro, a senior tribal leader of the ruling PML-Q party and a confidant of Musharraf, took oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order issued by the military ruler on November 3 after he imposed emergency.

He will return to the post of Senate Chairman after the general election is held, official sources said. Opposition parties have rejected the interim set-up, saying they were not consulted on its formation and that polls, which Musharraf said will be held before January 9, would not be free and fair as long as Musharraf remained the president and army chief. Soomro took over from premier Shaukat Aziz, who left office when the national assembly dissolved after serving its first full mandate in Pakistan’s history. T

he political developments came as three people, including two boys, were killed when gunfire broke out during protests in the southern city of Karachi by supporters of detained opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Attorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum said Musharraf would quit his army post by December 1, after the Supreme Court has ruled on the legality of his October 6 re-election as president. Musharraf’s own term also officially ended but as incumbent, he will remain in office until the court decision.

"Today I should have given up my uniform, but I could not do it because the Supreme Court barred me from taking the oath and the case was lingering and lingering," Musharraf said earlier. Bhutto, who had been in power-sharing negotiations with the military ruler before he declared emergency rule but has now broken them off, said he would not be acceptable as ruler even if he shed his uniform.

"Too much water has gone under the bridge," she told Dawn television from house arrest in the eastern city of Lahore. "We have said very clearly that we cannot keep doors open when commitments are broken." Bhutto and another former premier, Nawaz Sharif, spoke by telephone about working together to oust Musharraf, an alliance that would bring together two of the country’s biggest opposition parties. Bhutto earlier spoke for two hours with US consul general Bryan Hunt, who crossed the barbed wire barricades to see her under house arrest.