Interestingly, the fact that Zardari’s first press confererence since becoming President focuses on defeating militancy suggests that this will be the PPP government’s main priority.
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Zardari vows to fight militants
Pakistan’s newly sworn-in president, Asif Ali Zardari, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai have said they will stand together to fight terrorism.
Mr Zardari said at a joint news conference shortly after he took the oath of office he had a “comprehensive plan” to fight Islamist militants.
Mr Zardari was swept to the presidency in a parliamentary vote following Pervez Musharraf’s resignation.
He faces an economy in crisis and a rampant Islamist insurgency.
Mr Zardari’s surprise decision to hold a joint news conference with Mr Karzai just a couple of hours after he was sworn in shows that the “war on terror” is his top priority, says the BBC’s Syed Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad.
Many Pakistanis, who see inflation and a faltering economy as their main concerns, had been expecting a policy statement.
Domestic political troubles were also shunted aside in the question and answer session that seemed to focus more on sending positive messages to the international community, our correspondent says.
