PAKISTAN: NEW PRESIDENT NAWAZ SHARIF IS SWORN IN

(17 Feb 1997) Natural Sound

Pakistan's new prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been sworn in, Monday.

President Farooq Leghari, who sacked former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's government in November, conducted the ceremony.

Sharif was earlier elected prime minister in the National Assembly after his Pakistan Muslim League were triumphant in the February 3 elections.

Forty-seven-year-old Sharif commands one of the biggest parliamentary majorities in Pakistan's recent history.

Pakistan's new prime minister Nawaz Sharif was sworn in Monday following a secret ballot which gave his Muslim League an overwhelming vote of confidence.

Sharif's party received 177 votes. The party of his rival, Benazir Bhutto, received just 16 votes.

In a solemn ceremony at the lavish marble presidency, Sharif took the oath of office as Pakistan's 13th prime minister.

President Farooq Leghari, who administered the oath, promised to co-operate with the new premier.

Leghari, who fired former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in November, said he was "happy about the successful completion of the constitutional process."

The Prime Minister commands one of the biggest parliamentary majorities in the country's recent history and Pakistan's business community has high expectations for a Sharif-led government.

The Karachi 100-share index surged five per cent on Sunday, with small increases Monday.

Earlier, Sharif made his inaugural speech to Parliament, vowing to root out corruption and to move Pakistan beyond the political bickering that has marked previous governments.

But he said the main priority was to revive the economy, reduce unemployment and eliminate poverty.

He even offered an olive branch to Pakistan's old enemy, India.

Bhutto, who also addressed the National Assembly, questioned the accuracy of the election results, but promised to work with Sharif.

She also warned Sharif to keep a watchful eye on Leghari - the man who dismissed her government.

Sharif promised not to treat Bhutto's Pakistan's People's Party as she had treated his during her election.

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