ISLAMABAD, 1 April 2008 — President Pervez Musharraf yesterday swore in a 24-member Pakistani Cabinet made up of political opponents who have pledged to slash the US-backed leader's once-sweeping powers.

The ceremony was marked by tension with ministers from Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (N) wearing black armbands and refusing to shake hands with the president. Musharraf dismissed Sharif's government in 1999 after a bloodless coup and threw many of his party members, including Sharif, into prison. At least 10 out of the 24 ministers, including Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, spent time in jail during Musharraf's nine-year rule.

"Thank you and congratulations," a tense-looking Musharraf said and applauded briefly after the ministers followed him in repeating the oath of allegiance.

Explaining the black armbands, Siddiqul Farooq, a spokesman for the party of Nawaz Sharif, said: "That was in protest because an unconstitutional president was sitting up there and our minister had to take oath under him."

"We took the oath because there is a larger objective and that is the restoration of the judiciary," Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who was given the communications portfolio, said.

Musharraf purged the judiciary in November when he resorted to emergency rule for six weeks to stop the Supreme Court ruling his re-election by the outgoing Parliament was unconstitutional.

The ministers who took oath included a British-educated aristocrat, who as foreign minister is tasked with explaining Pakistan's new willingness to negotiate with militants to Western countries concerned that Al-Qaeda may be regrouping near the Afghan border.

There has been some apprehension in the Pakistani media and political circles that the United States could try to prop up Musharraf so that counterterrorism operations in the region are not disturbed by the changing of the guard in Islamabad.

"I expect from the international community that it will support democracy in Pakistan and will help us in strengthening democratic institutions," new Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters after being sworn in.

Eleven of the new ministers, including Qureshi, belong to assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's party, which won the most seats in the Feb. 18 vote. Nine are from the party of Nawaz Sharif. Of the other four, one is an independent member of Parliament and three are from two junior coalition partners.

Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said his priority would be to strengthen the country's defense, while keeping in view the economic constraints.

"Like every Pakistani I believe in the strong defense of the country," Mukhtar said and added that Pakistan was a peaceful country and wanted good ties with all countries.

Ahsan Iqbal, minister of education, said he opted for the post as he believed the country lagged behind in education. He said the 21st century has ushered in a knowledge revolution and said his ministry will aim at meeting future challenges.

He said Pakistan still ranked 135 on the global human index even after eight years and said that this situation needs to be addressed and changed.

Pakistan's stock market set a life high last Thursday and appears insensitive to the doubts lingering over Musharraf's fate. The Karachi 100-share index lost almost 1 percent yesterday, but dealers said it was a temporary setback.

"Market fundamentals are still strong, and investors are cautiously optimistic about the new government," said Ashraf Zakaria, a dealer at brokers Ali Hussain Rajabali and Co.

The rupee eased slightly to close at 62.70/76 yesterday, still stronger than the six-year low of 63.11/14 struck on Feb. 16, just before the election.

- With input from agencies