Pakistan

Zardari sworn in, pledges war on terror continues

Article published on the 2008-09-09 Latest update 2008-09-10 08:24 TU

Asif Ali Zardari is sworn in as president
(Photo: Retuers)

Newly-elected Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari was sworn in Islamabad on Tuesday at a ceremony attended by Afghan President Hamid Karzai. At a joint press conference afterwards, Karzai predicted that relations between the two countries would improve, while Zardari promised to combat armed Islamic groups on his country's soil.

Zardari invoked the name of his assassinated wife, Benazir Bhutto, after taking office. He declared that he accepted the presidency "in her name and in the name of all the martyrs of democracy".

Hailing Karzai as "my brother", he promised neighbouring countries, "We shall stand with each other, we shall not stand in each other’s way."

"I found in President Zardari a good will and vision not only for relations between the two countries but for the vision, which I can see for the first time, for the leadership in this region," Karzai declared for his part.

This year has been marked by mounting tension between the two countries, with Karzai accusing Pakistan of allowing Taliban insurgents to launch cross-border attacks and repeating claims that its secret services help them.

 He added that Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani are "well-intentioned towards the region" and that they have "an immense will to bring prosperity to the people of Pakistan", which, he claimed, can only be possible if security is guaranteed.

Zardari is under pressure from the US and Britain to clamp down on Islamist groups which they say operate from his country. But the so-called "war on terror", which has seen Pakistani and Afghan civilians killed in several attacks by international forces, is widely criticised in Pakistan.

He promised to continue counter-terror measures, but distanced himself from the strategy of his predecessor Pervez Musharraf, declaring that, although "yesterday’s war may not have the people behind it", his government's efforts would retain popular support. 

Analyst Mumtaz Ahmad is sceptical about that claim, despite the governement's promise to pursue a three-pronged strategy of economic development, reconciliation with those ready to talk and military action against those who are not.

"There is no substantive declaration on the part of the new government that they are going to depart fundamentally from the previous government’s policies," he told RFI.

On the food shortages and inflation which have hit Pakistan harder than most countries over the last 12 months, Zardari said that the authorities should "meet the challenge with supply and demand".