India-born Mamnoon Hussain, a close aide of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was on Monday sworn in as the President of Pakistan, marking the culmination of the country’s first democratic transition.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry administered the oath at a ceremony in the presidency here that was attended by Mr Sharif, the three service chiefs and top politicians from all parties.
It was a rare event as former President Asif Ali Zardari, who stayed in the presidency for a full five-year term and stepped down yesterday, also attended the ceremony that was beamed live on TV channels.
Mr Zardari was the first elected President to complete his constitutional tenure and to be replaced by an elected individual in Pakistan’s 66-year history that has been haunted by numerous military coups. Mr Hussain will be the country’s 12th President.