Pakistan's newly elected members of Parliament were on Monday administered the oath at the maiden session of Parliament, which is dominated by parties opposing President Pervez Musharraf who have vowed to clip his wings.
"This is the last day of dictatorship," Asif Ali Zardari, chairman of Pakistan People's Party which is set to lead a coalition government after crushing Musharraf's allies in the February 18 poll, told reporters at the tightly-guarded Parliament building.
A total of 328 MPs of the 342-member National Assembly were sworn in by outgoing Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain, after which the House offered special prayers for slain former premier and Zardari's wife Benazir Bhutto who was killed in a suicide attack on a pre-poll rally in December.
Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif, who did not contest the election, watched the proceedings from the gallery reserved for guests.
The two leaders had signed an agreement to form a coalition government on March 9.
Musharraf, who was not required at the session, did not attend it.
Pakistan People's Party members wore black bands and sported badges featuring a picture of Bhutto.
It was not clear whether the MPs took oath under the current Constitution or the 1973 Constitution.
Shortly after the National Assembly or Lower House of Parliament assembled, PPP leader Naveed Qamar said the members of the winning parties would take oath under the Constitution, bereft of the amendments carried out by Musharraf after he imposed emergency on November 3, 2007.
