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A30 world news
Diamars 12 aPriL 2022

Sharif sworn in as Pakistan’s new PM after week of drama

(AP) — Pakistan’s parlia- China is heavily invested in ma Papers — a collection of
ment on Monday elect- Pakistan in its multibillion- leaked secret financial docu-
ed opposition lawmaker dollar global initiative to link ments showing how some of
Shahbaz Sharif as the new south and central Asia to Bei- the world’s richest hide their
prime minister, following jing. money and involving a global
a week of political turmoil law firm based in Panama.
that led to the weekend Pakistan’s longtime rival In- He was disqualified from
ouster of Premier Imran dia also sent congratulations holding office by the Su-
Khan. to Sharif, with Indian Prime preme Court.
Minister Narendra Modi
Sharif took the oath of office saying his country “desires Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto’s
inside the stately, white mar- peace and stability.” The two husband who served as presi-
ble palace known as the Pres- countries have fought three dent of Pakistan after the 2008
idency in a brief ceremony. wars, coming dangerously election, has spent more than
close to a fourth over the seven years in prison, con-
But his elevation won’t guar- disputed Himalayan region victed on corruption charges.
antee a peaceful path forward of Kashmir, which is divided
or solve the country’s many coalition partner. his ouster. between the two and claimed Khan came to power in 2018,
economic problems, includ- by both. promising to break the pat-
ing high inflation and a soar- In a show of strength and a Khan has demanded early tern of family rule in Paki-
ing energy crisis. precursor to the political un- elections — the balloting is The opposition coalition stan, but his opponents said
certainty ahead, Khan rallied not due before August 2023. consists of parties that cross he was elected with help
Sharif, the brother of dis- hundreds of thousands of He has tapped into anti- the political divide, from the from the powerful military,
graced former Prime Minis- supporters in protests Sun- American sentiment in Paki- left to the radically religious. which has ruled the country
ter Nawaz Sharif, won with day night, describing the new stan, accusing Washington The two largest parties are for half of its 75-year history.
174 votes after more than 100 leadership as an “imposed of conspiring with his op- the Pakistan Muslim League,
lawmakers from Khan’s Paki- government” that colluded ponents to topple him. That headed by Sharif, and the Nawaz Sharif was also ousted
stan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or Pak- with the U.S. to oust him. conspiracy theory resonates Pakistan People’s Party, co- in 1999, in a military coup,
istan Justice Party, resigned His backers marched in cit- with his youthful base, which chaired by the son and hus- and Benazir Bhutto’s gov-
and walked out of the Na- ies across Pakistan, waving often sees the U.S. war on band of Benazir Bhutto, the ernment was ousted several
tional Assembly in protest. large party flags and shouted terrorism after 9/11 as unfair- former prime minister who times after the military sided
slogans promising to return ly targeting Pakistan. was killed in 2007. with her opposition. In Paki-
Those 174 votes — two more him to power. The crowds stani politics, where loyal-
than the required simple ma- were dominated by youths Khan claims Washington op- A few wealthy and powerful ties are often fluid, Bhutto’s
jority — are enough to pass who make up the backbone poses him because of his in- families have dominated Pak- fiercest opposition often
laws in the 342-seat assembly. of Khan’s supporters. dependent foreign policy fa- istan’s politics for decades, came from Sharif’s party.
If Khan’s followers take to voring China and Russia. He with power most often al-
the streets, as he has vowed, The political drama began was criticized for a visit he ternating between the Sharif Shahbaz Sharif has served
it could create more pressure April 3 when Khan side- made on Feb. 24 to Moscow, and the Bhutto camps. Both three times as chief minister
on lawmakers and deepen the stepped an initial no-confi- where he met with President political houses have been ac- of Pakistan’s largest, most
crisis. dence vote demanded by the Vladimir Putin as Russian cused of and at times convict- influential Punjab province,
opposition by dissolving par- tanks rolled into Ukraine. ed of widespread corruption. home to 60% of the coun-
Khan, a former cricket star liament and calling early elec- They have dismissed the al- try’s 220 million people. His
whose conservative Islamist tions. The opposition, which The U.S. State Department legations as being politically son, Hamza, was elected last
ideology and dogged inde- accuses Khan of economic has denied any involvement motivated. week as the new chief min-
pendence characterized his mismanagement, appealed in Pakistan’s internal politics. ister by the Punjab provincial
three years and eight months to the Supreme Court. After Nawaz Sharif was unseated parliament, ousting Khan’s
in office, was ousted early four days of deliberations, the China, which is Pakistan’s by the Supreme Court in nominee. Khan’s party is
Sunday. He lost a no-confi- court said Khan’s move was key ally and investor, said 2015 after being convicted challenging that election, and
dence vote after being desert- illegal and the no-confidence Monday it would support of financial irregularities re- the younger Sharif has yet to
ed by his party allies and a key vote went ahead, leading to any government. vealed in the so-called Pana- be sworn in.

UK sanctions 2 Bosnian-Serb leader for undermining peace

(AP) — Britain sanctioned “These two politicians are ment on Monday imposed ment established two separate graft and bribery.
two leading Bosnian-Serb deliberately undermining the its own sanctions on seven governing entities in Bosnia
politicians Monday, ac- hard won peace in Bosnia more people from the West- — one run by Bosnia’s Serbs Cvijanovic, the president of
cusing them of encour- and Herzegovina, Truss said ern Balkans. Dodik has for and the other controlled by Republika Srpska, the Serb
aging ethnic hatred and in a statement. “Encouraged years advocated separating the country’s Bosniaks and entity, has proposed legisla-
jeopardizing the peace by Putin, their reckless be- the Bosnian Serb mini-state Croats. tion to transfer powers from
accord that ended the civil havior threatens stability and from the federation and unit- the national government to
war in Bosnia-Herzegovi- security across the Western ing it with neighboring Ser- The two entities are linked her mini-state, British au-
na more than 25 years ago. Balkans. bia. He is the Bosnian Serb by joint institutions, and all thorities said. She has also
member of Bosnia’s tripartite actions taken at a national glorified war criminals and
Milorad Dodik and Zeljka U.K. authorities say the pair presidency, which also in- level have to be reached by denied acts of genocide dur-
Cvijanovic will be hit with have have used their posi- cludes representatives of the consensus among the three ing the civil war, they said.
asset freezes and travel bans tions to push for the de facto Bosnian Muslim and Croat ethnic groups.
in the first sanctions the U.K. secession of Republika Srp- communities. The top international official
has leveled in Bosnia. For- ska — one of two semi-au- U.S. authorities had previ- in Bosnia, Christian Schmidt,
eign Secretary Liz Truss said tonomous regions that com- Secession would violate the ously sanctioned Dodik, described the decision to im-
Russian President Vladimir prise the federation of Bosnia Dayton Accords, the 1995 accusing him of “corrupt pose sanctions on Dodik and
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and Herzegovina — in direct U.S.-sponsored agreement activities” that threaten to Cvijanovic as “reasonable”
had emboldened the pair to contravention of the coun- that ended Bosnia’s civil destabilize the region. The and thanked the British gov-
further erode the interna- try’s constitution. war, which killed more than Americans allege that he used ernment for its commitment
tional rules based system in 100,000 people and left mil- his leadership position to ac- to Bosnia’s stability and secu-
the Western Balkans. The U.S. Treasury Depart- lions homeless. The agree- cumulate wealth through rity.