"We are writing a new chapter in history," she said, diamond-studded pearl droplet earrings and a pouf of dark hair springing out from under her sheer veil. She repeatedly touched her forehead in a gesture of thanks to her peers a thick gold bracelet sliding down her arm.

"Benazir's dream has come true," said fellow party member Farzana Raja. "We have proven we're not only chanting slogans for women's empowerment — we're taking practical steps," she said, shoving the designer sunglasses back on her head and letting her headscarf slip off.

Nasim Zehra, a Pakistani analyst and fellow at Harvard University's Asia Center, cited "a different texture in politics now."

"The orientation of this parliament is different, with a different kind of people with different backgrounds," Zehra said.

On Wednesday, many male lawmakers arrived in designer clothing, including one who accented his tailored black suit with a bright pink tie. There were notably fewer beards and traditional turbans than in the previous parliament.

In the parking lot, Khaled Mahmood Javed sat behind the tinted windows of his shiny sedan flying the flag of Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party.

His brother, Rai Ghulam Murtaza, is an incoming lawmaker who first served under Bhutto in the 1980s.

"A lot of them are businessmen, and none are poor. They're big men — important men — and they're less religious too," Javed said of the new breed of legislators.

Pakistan has seen annual economic growth of about 7 percent for the past five years — much of it due to cash sent home by Pakistani expatriates. Murtaza was among them, his brother said.

"My brother lived abroad for the past 15 years. He's a dual citizen of Canada," Javed said proudly.

Many of Pakistan's top politicians are feudal landlords. Others amassed fortunes in Pakistan's booming banking and telecom sectors while they sat out politics under Musharraf.

Not everyone is amused.

Ameerul Azim, a spokesman for Pakistan's largest Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, which along with all but one Islamist faction boycotted the February polls, called the new lawmakers' show of wealth "an insult to the poor people of Pakistan."

"These people today proved that they have no sympathy for the poor," he said.

Even Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a Bhutto loyalist and contender for prime minister, acknowledged the lawmakers' ostentatious display of the trappings of wealth could raise doubts about their commitment to solving the problems of ordinary Pakistanis.

"Austerity should be exercised, given the economic compulsions that we have," Qureshi told Dawn News television Tuesday. He said the country faced "huge challenges," with high inflation and power shortages.

Economic hardships persist for most Pakistanis. Millions live in poverty despite the recent growth. The country has yet to fully overcome a severe shortage of wheat flour — a staple here — and fuel prices have spiked sharply in recent weeks.

Outside parliament Wednesday, policemen sat in clusters under pine trees, watching new lawmakers parade past multicolored banners lining the drive up to the legislature's marble pillars.

"Rich candidates always do better. They have more connections," said one officer, lazily picking at wild dandelions. A policemen earns just over $100 a month.

"Islam doesn't allow women to unveil themselves, but the atmosphere in Pakistan is changing day by day. You can see it in the fashion here," he said, requesting anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the media.

"It's a bit of a charade, but it's also a big sign of democracy and hope," he said.