The ruling Pakistan People's Party today named former IT Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf as it candidate for the post of Prime Minister hours before a special session of Parliament convened to elect a new premier.

Senior PPP leader Khursheed Shah announced the name of the party's nominee at a news conference held in Parliament.He said that the decision has been taken after consulting the parties allied to PPP.

The National Assembly or lower house of Parliament is scheduled to elect the new premier at 5.30 pm. The election was necessitated by the ouster of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The PPP's efforts to find a replacement for Gilani hit a snag yesterday after a special court issued an arrest warrant for Makhdoom Shahabuddin, the party's original candidate for the post of premier, at the same time that he was filing his nomination papers.