Zardari sworn in as Pak president

ISLAMABAD, Sept 9 (Agencies) The widower of assassinated former Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto took office as the country's new president Tuesday, facing immediate pressure to crack down on Islamic militants and address daunting economic problems.brShortly after he took the oath of office Pakistan's newly sworn-in president, Asif Ali Zardari, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai have said they will stand together to fight terrorism. brZardari's surprise decision to hold a joint news conference with Karzai just a couple of hours after he was sworn in shows that the war on terror is his top priority.brMany Pakistanis, who see inflation and a faltering economy as their main concerns, had been expecting a policy statement. brDomestic 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. brPakistan's top judge swore in Asif Ali Zardari at a brief ceremony in the presidential palace recently vacated by Pervez Musharraf, who resigned under pressure last month.brWith his three children among the well-wishers and dignitaries packing a cavernous hall, Zardari, wearing a pinstriped business suit, beamed as the ceremony ended and shouts of Bhutto is alive! rang out.brZardari swept an election Saturday when members of the two-chamber parliament and four provincial assemblies voted on a replacement for former army chief Pervez Musharraf, who resigned last month nine years after taking power in a coup. brAsif Ali Zardari is a shield, protection to strengthen democracy and provide relief to the masses, the spokeswoman, Farzana Raja, told state television shortly before the swearing-in ceremony.br