Pakistan's ruling party has announced parliament elections will be held this year, earlier than expected, Belfast Telegraph said.

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has also been put forward by the party as its new candidate for prime minister.

The announcement came during a news conference in the capital, Islamabad.

Later, the parliament is scheduled to vote on Mr Ashraf's candidacy. The ruling coalition has a majority so he is expected to be approved.

The news tops a tumultuous week in Pakistani politics. On Tuesday the Supreme Court disqualified Yousuf Raza Gilani as prime minister for failing to initiate a corruption probe of the president's affairs.

A senior Pakistan People's Party member, Khursheed Shah, said that the party had decided on Mr Ashraf after consultations with their coalition partners, many of which also attended the press conference.

"Raja Pervaiz Ashraf is our final nominee," he said.

Opposition members had been calling for new elections to be held immediately, but the PPP, fearing it would not do well, has been reluctant to do that.

Mr Shah did not give a date for the elections, but the earliest they could likely be held is late in the autumn.

"This year will be the year of new elections, and we are going for the elections," he said.