Policemen stand guard at the Parliament House building in Islamabad.
ISLAMABAD: Steep challenges await the newly elected members of Pakistan’s National Assembly, who were sworn in on Saturday.
Among the challenges the legislators will face include massive energy shortages that leave some Pakistanis without power for up to 20 hours a day; a badly ailing economy that might force the Muslim-majority nation to seek an international bailout; and ongoing militant activity by Taliban and other extremists whose violence has killed thousands in the past decade and badly strained Pakistan’s alliance with the United States.
“We are facing many challenges, but God willing, we will overcome them,” said incoming prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The 63-year-old is expected to be sworn in as premier and appoint his Cabinet in the coming week.
Sharif and his advisers are searching for ways to revive the economy without turning to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout. Perhaps the most critical step in saving the economy will be to address the energy crisis, which has been exacerbated by the refusal of many Pakistanis to pay their electricity bills.
How Sharif deals with two other countries — India and the United States — could also define his rule. India and Pakistan, which are both nuclear-armed, have fought three major wars, but in recent years have tried to improve their relations. Sharif has said he wants those efforts to continue, not least because India could prove a good trading partner.
Dealing with the United States could be in some ways a trickier matter. While officially a US-ally in the fight against terrorists, Pakistanis have long been at odds with the US on some of its tactics, especially drone strikes on Pakistani soil.
The most recent drone strike came on Wednesday, and the Pakistani Taliban militant group said it killed their deputy leader, Waliur Rehman.
Sharif wants to resolve differences with the Pakistani Taliban through peace talks, but after the recent strike the Pakistani Taliban said they would not participate in any negotiations.
A statement issued by the PML-N late on Friday said that Sharif had expressed “deep disappointment” over the Wednesday drone strike. It called the strike a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and international law. It did not mention Waliur Rehman or the Pakistani Taliban. The statement said a Sharif aide had conveyed his sentiments to the US Embassy.
The US regards such missile attacks as legal, but President Barack Obama recently described plans to further restrict drone use in the future. According to the statement, the Sharif aide described the strike as especially regrettable since it came within days of Obama’s speech.
Agencies
