The ruling party and its allied legislators appeared ignorant as to who was being named as replacement to the outgoing Prime Minister, Zafarullah Khan Jamali.
This correspondent asked some of them, but they guessed without specifically naming any person: They said it could be Humayun Akhtar, Zobaida Jalal or Farooq Leghari. Most of them showed anxiety why the nominee was not being announced.
The name of the nominee of Jamali was to be made public at 6:30 pm, but it was delayed by almost an hour.
Most of the women legislators clapped and chanted slogans, as the outing Premier told the audience that Chaudhry Shujaat Husain would replace him.
A veteran parliamentarian remarked, "Isn't is unfortunate that such a humble person is being shown the door, without any tangible rhyme and reason?"
National Reconstruction Bureau Chairman Daniyal Aziz, the MNA from southern Punjab, was jokingly telling one of his friends that only he would survive as cabinet member. Before Jamali, Shujaat and Mushahid entered the main hall holding each other's hands, some PML legislators chanted slogans in favour of Education Minister Zobaida Jalal, 'Wazeer-e-Azam Zobaida Jalal'.
Reacting to the sloganeering, the minister smilingly remarked, "Please, be quiet; your slogans may deprive me of my seat as MNA."
There were scuffles among some media persons, as Jamali, Shujaat, Mushahid and others took their seats. The environment inside the hall was stuffy because of heavy rush.
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