Pakistan's new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, has called for an end to US drone strikes in the country's northwest, after MPs endorsed him for an unprecedented third term in office.
About 13 years after he was deposed in a coup and sent into exile, Sharif was formally chosen by a vote in the National Assembly on Wednesday and will take the oath from President Asif Ali Zardari later in the day.
The country faces a daunting array of problems from crippling power cuts to Taliban militancy, and the new prime minister says citizens should be in no doubt about the challenges that lie ahead. Sharif, 63, has advocated peace talks with the Taliban, though the all-powerful military has voiced deep scepticism about the idea of doing deals with the militants.
He publicly criticised the drone strike that killed Taliban deputy Waliur Rehman last week, echoing long-held Pakistani complaints that the US campaign violates national sovereignty. On Wednesday Sharif used his first speech as prime minister to reiterate his concerns.
"We respect the sovereignty of others and they should also respect our sovereignty and independence.
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This campaign should come to an end," he said, calling for a comprehensive strategy to root out extremism.
Missile strikes by unmanned US aircraft have been very unpopular in Pakistan, but Washington views them as a vital tool in the fight against Taliban and al-Qaeda militants holed up in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas.
Ties with Washington will be a key part of Sharif's tenure, particularly as NATO withdraws the bulk of its forces from neighbouring Afghanistan by the end of next year after more than 12 years of war.
Sharif has said Pakistan will cooperate with NATO as it pulls out, but warned that Washington must take Islamabad's concerns about drone strikes seriously.
Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N scored a comfortable win in the May general election as Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) was routed, blamed by voters for five years which saw the hated power shortages worsen and militancy continue almost unabated.
