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| Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif | |
|---|---|
| Name | Nawaz Sharif |
| Birth date | 1949-12-25 |
| Birth place | Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Occupation | Politician, industrialist |
| Office | Prime Minister of Pakistan |
| Term | 1990–1993, 1997–1999, 2013–2017 |
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Nawaz Sharif served three non-consecutive terms as the head of Pakistan's government and led the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) amid recurrent contests with figures such as Benazir Bhutto, Pervez Musharraf, and Asif Ali Zardari. His career intersected with events involving the Islamic Republic of Pakistan's institutions including the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Inter-Services Intelligence, and multinational actors like Saudi Arabia and the United States. Sharif's policies on nuclear proliferation, economic liberalization, and infrastructure projects placed him at the center of controversies involving the Pakistan Army, the International Monetary Fund, and regional actors such as India.
Born in Lahore into a Punjabi business family originally associated with Jhelum, he attended St. Anthony High School, Lahore and later the Government College University, Lahore. Sharif's formative years overlapped with political shifts following the 1947 Partition of British India and the careers of contemporaries like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. His legal education and early mentorship connected him to networks including the Lahore High Court bar and trading communities that liaised with institutions such as the State Bank of Pakistan.
Sharif became prominent through the Ittefaq Group, expanding interests in steel and manufacturing that brought him into contact with industrial regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and traders active in Karachi. His commercial rise coincided with privatization trends promoted by policymakers such as Manzoor Ul Haq and Ghulam Ishaq Khan, and with economic frameworks advised by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Political entry occurred via the Pakistan Muslim League, competing with parties led by Benazir Bhutto and alliances like the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad.
Sharif's first term followed the 1990 Pakistani general election where he navigated a coalition with figures linked to Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and Nawaz Sharif allies; his administration faced opposition from Benazir Bhutto and oversight by the President of Pakistan at the time, Ghulam Ishaq Khan. During his second term after the 1997 Pakistani general election he pursued constitutional amendments involving the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan and clashed with the Pakistan Army leadership culminating in the 1999 Kargil conflict aftermath and the 1999 Pakistani coup d'état led by Pervez Musharraf. His third term after the 2013 Pakistani general election emphasized infrastructure initiatives including the Lahore Metro, energy projects involving China under frameworks resembling later China–Pakistan Economic Corridor discussions, and diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan and Iran.
Sharif promoted market-oriented reforms influenced by advisers who had ties to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, implementing privatization programs similar to those seen in United Kingdom under Margaret Thatcher and reforms debated in Washington, D.C.. He prioritized infrastructure such as motorways connecting Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar, negotiated energy projects with entities from China and Saudi Arabia, and steered nuclear policy during periods of tension with India over Kargil and Agra Summit dynamics. His administrations faced challenges from the Pakistan Peoples Party opposition, the Supreme Court of Pakistan's judicial review, and scrutiny by anti-corruption institutions parallel to cases in Karachi and Islamabad.
Legal controversies culminated in proceedings before the Supreme Court of Pakistan and inquiries by the National Accountability Bureau linked to allegations about offshore assets revealed in dossiers associated with global inquiries like the Panama Papers coverage. The judiciary, including judges appointed during the tenures of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and predecessors, issued disqualifications invoking constitutional provisions paralleling historic rulings such as those during the era of Ayub Khan and Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. These rulings intersected with international diplomacy involving Saudi Crown Prince interventions and asylum discussions with states such as Saudi Arabia.
Following the 1999 coup, Sharif entered exile in Saudi Arabia before returning amid negotiated settlements facilitated by entities including the United Nations diplomatic channels and representatives from Islamabad and Riyadh. His 2013 comeback involved alliances with provincial leaders from Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, negotiating with political figures like Shehbaz Sharif and institutional actors including the Election Commission of Pakistan. Later years featured medical travel to London and meetings with international figures from Washington, D.C., while domestic legal and political contests continued involving the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the National Accountability Bureau.
Sharif's family includes prominent figures such as Shehbaz Sharif and members of the Sharif family who have held offices at provincial and federal levels, intersecting with rival dynasties like the Bhutto family and coalitions including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. His legacy is debated across commentators aligned with institutions such as Dawn (newspaper), The News International, and analysts in Islamabad and Lahore; assessments weigh his role in industrial expansion, infrastructure projects, tensions with the Pakistan Army, and judicial precedents that shaped subsequent politics exemplified by the careers of Imran Khan and Pervez Musharraf. His impact endures in policy debates among parties like Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Pakistan Peoples Party, and emerging movements in Pakistan's political landscape.