Pakistani PM a loyalist known for principles

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's new prime minister is a staunch loyalist of slain leader Benazir Bhutto but is known for standing by his principles and over the years defied her and military ruler Pervez Musharraf.

Immediately after easily winning a National Assembly vote on Monday to become prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, a former National Assembly speaker, paid a glowing tribute to Bhutto, who was killed in a gun and bomb attack on December 27.

He also made a call for strengthening parliament and other institutions including the judiciary.

"We can't succeed unless we strengthen institutions," he told the assembly.

Soft-spoken Gilani began his political career in the 1980s and became an ally of then military dictator, Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq.

Later, he joined Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and has since remained loyal to it through thick and thin.

Gilani was thrown into jail in 2001 on charges of making illegal appointments while speaker of the National Assembly from 1993 to 1997, during Bhutto's second term as prime minister.

He says the charges were trumped up by Musharraf's government to pressure him to abandon Bhutto's party but he refused. He was freed in 2006.

While staying loyal to Bhutto throughout, he is known to have stood by his principles during his stint as speaker of the National Assembly even if that meant defying her.

In 1996, he threatened to resign as speaker after Bhutto's government refused to produce detained members of parliament in the house on his orders.

"Yousaf Raza Gilani has always been loyal to his party but he is not a 'yes man'," the News newspaper said on Monday.

"UNDERSTATED"

Gilani, 55, a member of a prominent family from Punjab province, is a journalism graduate from Punjab University and is seen as a good team player and a steady hand.

He wrote a book during his time in jail in which he advocated a strong army but opposed any role for it in politics.

He also called for the repeal of constitutional amendments made by Musharraf to bolster the president's authority, including his powers to dismiss a government.

"He's an understated guy, on the quieter side, but he's articulate and seems to be a guy who will work with a team, he's not aggressive," political analyst Nasim Zehra said at the weekend.

"He has been a minister and the speaker of parliament and I don't think we saw anything particularly negative or positive. He caused no ripples and made no headlines," Zehra said.

There has been speculation the PPP would nominate a stop-gap prime minister, and Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, would take over the post after winning a seat in parliament through a by-election.

But party officials denied on Monday that Gilani was a temporary prime minister, saying he aimed to serve a full five-year term.

Gilani is a member of an old religious family who traces his roots back to the Prophet Mohammad.

His forefathers moved from Baghdad to settle in what is now Pakistan and his family has had representatives in every assembly since 1921, when Pakistan was part of British-ruled India.

Gilani is married and has four sons and one daughter.

(Editing by Robert Birsel)