Asif Ali Zardari was sworn in as Pakistan's president on Tuesday, and immediately pledged subservience to parliament. "The president will only carry forward the brief of the government and bow before the parliament," he said while addressing his first press conference after taking oath as president. But he parried direct questions on the abolishment of the 17th Amendment. Musharraf: To another question, Zardari said the parliament would decide whether former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf would be given an indemnity from any prosecution. He said he would continue his policy of reconciliation. "We do not seek revenge. We forgive and move forward and our message is of reconciliation." Asked if he would reinstate all the sacked judges, he said he had no grudge against any of them.
Kashmir: The new president said Pakistanis would hear 'good news' about the Kashmir dispute with India soon. "[Because of] back-channel diplomacy, there will be good news before the Congress-led government in India goes for the election [next year]," he said. Zardari said he had the support of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Kashmir and referred to a bipartisan committee that will devise a joint policy on the issue.