ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, called for an end to U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal belt Wednesday, shortly after he won a parliamentary vote to lead the country for an unparalleled third time.
“The chapter of daily drone attacks should stop,” Sharif told the packed lower house of Parliament, where he won a comfortable majority of votes. “We respect sovereignty of other countries, but others should also respect our sovereignty.”
Sharif, 63, was formally sworn in Wednesday by President Asif Ali Zardari in a ceremony at the president’s house.
That ceremony marked a remarkable comeback for Sharif, a Punjabi politician who served as prime minister twice in the 1990s before being ousted in a military coup in 1999. He enjoys a strong mandate, following a sweeping win by his Pakistan Muslim League party in the May 11 general election.
But Sharif is returning to power at a difficult time. In his speech to Parliament on Wednesday, he alluded to some of the most difficult challenges facing his administration, including soaring government debt, high unemployment, lawlessness and corruption.
Sharif said he could not promise to resolve those problems quickly, but he vowed to promote a culture of transparency. “My government will not tolerate any form of corruption,” he said as legislators thumped their desks in approval.
Sharif’s comment on drone strikes suggested a firm, and perhaps more distant, tone in relations with the United States, whose alliance with Pakistan has frequently been stormy in recent years.
During the election campaign, Sharif vowed to limit U.S. influence in the country, and he criticized CIA-operated drone strikes.
