Zardari sworn in as Pakistan's president

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Asif Ali Zardari, husband of slain Benazir Bhutto, Tuesday took the oath of office as Pakistani president.

In his oath administered by the country's chief justice, Zardari, who leads the Pakistan People's Party, the main party in the ruling coalition, said he "will strive to preserve the Islamic ideology," the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

Those attending included Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, the report said. Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of sheltering Taliban militants who launch attacks across the border.

Zardari, 53, takes over a nuclear-powered country that is wracked by Islamist insurgency, spiraling violence and a deteriorating economy.

CNN reported the new president has little experience in governing. He spent more than 11 years in jail on corruption charges, which he claimed were politically motivated.

His political fortunes rose after Bhutto was assassinated last December at an election rally in Rawalpindi.

Zardari faces a tough political challenge as the other main party in the five-month coalition -- the Pakistan Muslim League-N led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif -- has pulled out over the issue of reinstatement of judges dismissed by former President Pervez Musharraf.

The BBC reported Zaradari's other challenges include dealing with the United States, which has stepped up direct strikes against militant targets in Pakistan's border region.