New Pakistan Assembly sworn in

Members of Pakistan's newly-elected National Assembly took their oaths on Saturday (June 1), after a landmark May 11 election that marked the first transfer of power between civilian governments. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, toppled by the military 14 years ago, swept back to power in the election in the country that has been under military rule for about half of its history. Security was tight outside parliament, with police and paramilitary soldiers guarding the complex and restricting traffic. Sharif takes over a country that is almost broke, plagued by a Taliban insurgency and sectarian violence, crippling power cuts and growing unemployment.