The administration of US President Barack Obama is reaching out to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the chief rival of President Asif Ali Zardari, in hopes to find a way to strengthen the country’s government, The New York Times reported late Friday. Sharif, who served prime minister twice during the 1990s, represents the Pakistan Muslim League-N, a coalition that includes a number of Islamist groups. Citing unnamed administration officials, the newspaper said on its website that because of his ties to Islamists, the US government has long held Sharif at arm’s length. But now some Obama administration officials say those...