EXPLAINER: What’s ahead for politically volatile Pakistan?

By KATHY GANNON
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Months of economic discontent in Pakistan have been capped by days of tense drama. When the week ended, Imran Khan, one of the country’s most charismatic prime ministers, was ousted, and his replacement was a member of a prominent political dynasty. Veteran politician Shahbaz Sharif, the brother of a disgraced former premier, was sworn in Monday to head a coalition government of disparate parties spanning the political spectrum from the left to the radically religious. The parties also have a history of rivalry, and governing won’t be easy. The country’s economy still looks bleak, with rising energy prices, soaring inflation and an expected slowdown in gross domestic product.