Transition of power in Pakistan

Newly elected members of Pakistan’s National Assembly were sworn in today, officially marking the first transition of power between democratically elected civilian governments in the nearly 66-year history of the coup-prone country.

Among the steep challenges the legislators will face: massive energy shortages that leave some Pakistanis without power for up to 20 hours a day; a badly ailing economy that might force the Muslim-majority nation to seek an international bailout; and ongoing militant activity by Taliban and other extremists whose violence has killed thousands in the past decade and badly strained Pakistan’s alliance with the United States.