Mamnoon Hussain sworn in as Pakistan's new president
Iran Press TV
Mon Sep 9, 2013 3:57PM GMT
Mamnoon Hussain has been sworn in as Pakistan's new president at a ceremony presided over by the chief justice in the capital, Islamabad.
The chief judge of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Chaudhry, administered the oath to Hussain at the ceremony held in presidency building on Monday.
Political leaders gathered for cross-party talks on how to tackle growing insecurity during his swearing-in ceremony.
The developments come weeks after Hussain was elected on July 30 by members of the provincial assemblies and the federal parliament. The vote marked an end to the five-year term of outgoing President Asif Ali Zardari whose party lost in May's general elections.
Zardari stepped down at the end of his five-year term, becoming the first democratically elected president in the country's history to complete a full term in office
He rose to power after the assassination of his wife, two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in December 2007. He's credited with taking a strong stance on militancy and democratic transfer of power in a country whose 66-year history has been plagued by military coups.
Zardari's popularity, however, was hurt by economic mismanagement and a failure to meet Pakistan's energy needs.
Hussain, a businessman from Karachi and a close ally of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, faces energy problems, economic decline and rising militancy.
JR/SS
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