Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani from the PPP is finally the new Prime Minister of Pakistan. Ever since the election results were announced a month back, there was never a doubt, that the new PM would be from the PPP, but who from within the party would be make it has been a big suspense until now.

Who is Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani? Why was he chosen by the PPP and not the more widely expected Amin Fahim? Will Gilani be able to provide leadership to the PPP in its post-Benazir period and stability to Pakistan? Or will he simply be Asif Ali Zardari's rubber stamp and puppet in the Parliament?

Gilani may be a new name in the region and in international politics but not inside Pakistan. Compared to the last two Prime Ministers - Shaukat Aziz and Zafarullah Jamali - Gilani has much stronger political clout especially in Punjab, the country's most powerful province.

In a way, this is ironical, while talking about dynastic politics. Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani is the fourth generation political leader from his family, which hails from Multan, one of the largest cities in Punjab. His great-grandfather, Makhdoom Raja Bakhsh Gilani, was the mayor of Multan in the early 1920s and was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly of British India. His grandfather, Makhdoom Ghulam Mustafa Shah Gilani, was also elected to the legislative assembly in the 1946 elections. Gilani's father, Makhdoom Alamdar Hussain Gilani was a signatory to the Pakistan Resolution and was a part of the Muslim League.

Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani started his political career in Muslim League after the death of his father. He was the chairman of Multan District Council and elected to the National Assembly in the 1985 elections held under Zia and served as a Minister for Housing and Railways. He joined the PPP and defeated Nawaz Sharif in the 1988 elections. In 1990 and 1993, he was again elected to the National Assembly. When the PPP formed the government in 1993, he was elected as the Speaker of National Assembly, a post he held until 1997. He lost the elections, for the first time in 1997, when there was a huge pro-Sharif wave that swept Punjab and Pakistan; the PPP could not win a single seat in Punjab.

After the coup, the National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan charged Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani with nepotism and corruption and placed him in jail for six years. When the military regime attempted to win him over, he refused to strike any deal. In 2002, he could not contest the elections, as he was in jail. In 2008, he defeated Sikandar Hayat Bosan, to whom he had lost in 1997. Gilani is also related to Pir Pagara, the leader of PML-F and has the 'Makhdoom' links of Multan, a city known for its Sufi saints. In short, the new Prime Minister is not a novice to politics and not without political and social connections.

Given his political and social background, one need not expect him to be a rubber stamp to Zardari or the Bhutto family, for he has a family history and standing of his own. Besides, his track record as the Speaker of National Assembly during 1993-97 also reveals that he was willing to take an independent stand even against the wishes of Benazir Bhutto. He is unlikely to be a 'Yes' man. Why would Zardari chose him then? Perhaps, the coalition partners, especially Nawaz Sharif could have argued for Gilani's candidature. Amin Fahim, who every one believed would be the next PM was not acceptable to Sharif, as he perceived Fahim to be close to the current establishment, especially Musharraf.

Another factor that could have played a role in choosing Gilani has been the fact he is from Punjab, unlike Amin Fahim, who is from Sindh. The Punjabi card in the National Assembly is important for the PPP to retain its popularity in the most powerful province and also to checkmate Nawaz Sharif.

There are questions that are more important than whether Gilani would be able to lead a coalition government. Has Gilani been selected for a short period, to pave the way for Zardari at a later stage? Amin Fahim and his supporters along with the anti-Zardari lobby within the PPP should have no major problem in accepting Gilani as the PM, for he is seen as non-controversial leader. If Zardari is to take over as the PM at a later stage, the PPP may face a crisis from within. For now, Fahim and the anti-Zardari lobby within the PPP are unlikely to walk out and form another grouping. Much would now depend on how Zardari sees his own role within the PPP.