MIXED SIGNALS

Pakistan’s Sharif: End the Drone Strikes

But says he wants a good relationship with the U.S.

Nawaz Sharif hasn’t even been officially declared Pakistan’s prime minister, and he’s already criticizing the U.S. drone strikes. Sharif, poised to become the next prime minister of Pakistan after this weekend’s election, said Monday that U.S. drone strikes are a violation of his country’s sovereignty—although he insisted he wanted a good relationship with Washington. Sharif, 63, frequently criticized the U.S. while on the campaign trail, and he had criticized the former government of pandering to Washington in exchange for aid. The U.S. drone strikes are hugely unpopular in Pakistan, where many believe they kill innocent civilians. But Sharif insisted he would “extend full support” to the U.S. in the military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014.