Zardari sworn in as Pakistan President

Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday took over as Pakistan's President and swiftly pledged to come out with ‘some good news’ on Kashmir before this month-end.

The 53-year-old businessman-turned politician, who spent over a decade behind the bars on corruption and other charges, was administered oath of office by Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar in a ceremony at the presidential palace attended by Afghan President Hamid Karzai among others.

Zardari, husband of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto, said he would work together with all neighbouring countries.

"We shall stand with each other, we shall not stand in each other's way."

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Judges must return today or I go: Sharif

Pakistan’s fledgling coalition government was plunged into crisis today after former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif threatened to pull out unless judges sacked by former President Pervez Musharraf were not reinstated by tomorrow.

Sharif, who heads the PML(N), the second largest constituent of the coalition, said, “If the judges are not restored we will perhaps be forced to sit in the opposition. We will not try to bring the government down. But, of course, then we have no choice but sit in the opposition.”

The PML(N)’s coalition with Asif Ali Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) “came into being on the basis that democracy would be strengthened and judges restored”, Sharif said.

“And, of course, we would restore the Constitution as it stood before Musharraf overthrew an elected government,” he added.

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