Nawaz Sharif
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was born 25 December 1949 is a Pakistani businessman and politician. Who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non consecutive terms. He is the longest serving prime minister of Pakistan having served a total of more than 9 years across three tenures. Each term has ended in his ousting.Born into the upper middle class Sharif family in Lahore. Nawaz is the son of Muhammad Sharif the founder of Ittefaq and Sharif groups. He is the elder brother of Shehbaz Sharif. Who also became the prime minister of Pakistan in 2022. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan. Nawaz is the one of the wealthiest men in Pakistan with an estimated net worth of at least Rs. 1.75 billion equivalent to Rs. 8.9 billion or US$39 million in 2021. Most of his wealth originates from his businesses in steel construction
Before entering politics in the mid 1980. Nawaz studied business at Government College and law at the University of Punjab. In 1981 nawaz was appointed by President Zia as the minister of finance for the province of Punjab. Backed by a loose coalition of conservative Nawaz was elected as the Chief Minister of Punjab in 1985 and re elected after the end of martial law in 1988. In 1990 nawaz led the conservative Islamic Democratic Alliance and became the 12th prime minister of Pakistan.\
After being ousted in 1993. When president ghulam Ishaq Khan dissolved the National Assembly. Nawaz served as the leader of the opposition to the government of Benazir Bhutto from 1993 to 1996. He returned to the premiership after the Pakistan Muslim League was elected in 1997 and served until his removal in 1999 by military takeover and was tried in a plane hijacking case which was argued by Barrister Ijaz Husain Batalvi assisted by Khawaja Sultan senior Advocate Sher Afghan Asdi and Akhtar Aly Kureshy Advocate. After being imprisoned and later exiled for more than a decade. He returned to politics in 2011 and led his party to victory for the third time in 2013.
In 2017 nawaz was removed from office by the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding revelations from the Panama Papers case. In 2018 the Pakistani Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz from holding public office and he was also sentenced to ten years in prison by an accountability court. As of 2021 Nawaz is in London for medical treatment on expired bail.
Early life and education
Nawaz was born in Lahore Punjab on 25 December 1949. The Sharif family are Kashmiris of Punjab. His father Muhammad Sharif was an upper middle class businessman and industrialist whose family had emigrated from Anantnag in Kashmir for business. They settled in the village of Jati Umra in Amritsar district Punjab at the beginning of the twentieth century. His mother's family came from Pulwama. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947 nawaz's parents migrated from Amritsar to Lahore. His father followed the teachings of the Ahl i Hadith. His family owns Ittefaq Group a multimillion dollar steel conglomerate and Sharif Group a conglomerate with holdings in agriculture, transport and sugar mills. He has two younger brothers Shehbaz Sharif and the late Abbas Sharif both politicians by profession.
Nawaz went to Saint Anthony High School. He graduated from the Government College University with an art and business degree and then received a law degree from the Law College of Punjab University in Lahore.
Early political career
Nawaz suffered financial losses when his family's steel business was appropriated under the nationalisation policies of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Nawaz entered politics as a result initially focused on regaining control of the steel plants. In 1976 nawaz joined the Pakistan Muslim League a conservative front rooted in the Punjab province.
In May 1980 ghulam jilani Khan the recently appointed military governor of Punjab and a former Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence ISI was seeking new urban leaders he quickly promoted Nawaz making him finance minister. In 1981 Nawaz joined the Punjab Advisory Council under Khan.
During the 1980 nawaz gained influence as a supporter of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's military government. Zia-ul-Haq agreed to return the steel industry to nawaz. Who convinced the general to denationalise and deregulate industries to improve the economy.Within punjab nawaz privatised government owned industries and presented development oriented budgets to the military government.These policies raised financial capital and helped increase the standard of living and purchasing power in the province which in turn improved law and order and extended Khan's rule. Punjab was the richest province and received more federal funding than the other provinces of Pakistan contributing to economical inequality
Nawaz invested his wealth in Saudi Arabia and other oil rich Arab countries to rebuild his steel empire. According to personal accounts and his time spent with nawaz american historian Stephen Philips Cohen states in his 2004 book Idea of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif never forgave Bhutto after his steel empire was lost even after Bhutto's terrible end Nawaz publicly refused to forgive the soul of Bhutto or the Pakistan Peoples Party..
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