US drone strikes violate Pak sovereignty: Sharif

Speaking to a group of foreign journalists on Monday,Sharif said: “Drones are challenging our sovereignty and we have taken up the matter seriously. We have spoken to the Americans during our meetings. Our concern should be understood properly. We will sit with our American friends.”

On Pakistan’s relations with the United States,he said: “We have good relations with America,but we have to listen to each other and address each other’s concerns. We have to respect each other.”

Sharif said his government would extend “full support” and “facilitate the Americans as far as the withdrawal (from Afghanistan) is concerned”.

Asked if he would help negotiate with Taliban to bring peace to Afghanistan after the pullout,he replied: “It depends on circumstances. It is one of our most important issues — we have lost 40,000 lives (during this war) and our economy has suffered badly’’.

On Pakistan’s crucial relations with Saudi Arabia,Sharif said: “Our relations with Saudi Arabia are very strong. We will further strengthen our relationship. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have been cooperating with each other,and we will further promote that cooperation.”

Stating that the elections have improved Pakistan’s image,Sharif said “the west and the rest look at Pakistan very positively… they seem to be very happy about fair elections… they know they have a government in Pakistan that they can work with.”

Stating that he was not opposed to a coalition government,Sharif said that while his party is in a position to form a government on its own in Islamabad,“we would like to invite others for consensus to form a national agenda’’.

The PML-N has already got majority in the Punjab assembly,and is in talks with Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to keep Imran Khan’s PTI,that has emerged as a leading party there,out of power. Analysts say the PML(N) has a 50-50 chance of forming the government in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while Sindh has already been won by the Pakistan People’s Party.

Sharif began his informal press meeting with an appeal to the opposition to accept the people’s verdict and “take the results in a sportsman’s spirit”.

He said he was happy because the previous parliament completed its full term. “It means this nation has now started respecting mandate of the ballot box. We are in a state where we are observing sanctity of the ballot boxes. And this has happened without the umbrella of the Armed Forces of Pakistan… We will continue to strengthen our democratic institutions,” he said.

Sharif picks Ishaq Dar as finance minister

Nawaz Sharif has picked senator Ishaq Dar as his finance minister in the new cabinet that he is putting together after leading his party back to power,a party spokesman said. Dar,who served as finance minister in a previous Sharif cabinet in the 1990s,has said he plans to push provincial governments to collect agricultural taxes,a policy that could set him on a collision course with some of the PML-N’s wealthy backers.