Shehbaz Sharif
Who was Shehbaz Sharif?
Pakistani politician currently serving as Prime Minister since 2024, previously holding the office from 2022-2023 and serving as Chief Minister of Punjab for multiple terms.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Shehbaz Sharif (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was born on September 23, 1951, in Lahore, Pakistan, into the Sharif family, which became one of the most influential political families in the country's history. He got his early education at St. Anthony's High School in Lahore and then went to Government College University. His family's background in the steel industry influenced his early career, and he gained a reputation as an administrator and manager before fully pursuing politics. He is the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, who served as Prime Minister of Pakistan three times.
Shehbaz Sharif started his political career when he was elected to the Punjab Assembly in 1988, kicking off a legislative journey that would last for decades. He was later elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1990 during a time of significant political change when his brother Nawaz led the Islami Jamhuri Ittihad alliance to victory. Shehbaz was re-elected to the Punjab Assembly in 1993 and served as leader of the opposition. In February 1997, he became Chief Minister of Punjab for the first time, leading Pakistan's most populous province. However, his tenure was cut short by the 1999 military coup led by General Pervez Musharraf, forcing the Sharif family into self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia until they returned to Pakistan in 2007 after a political agreement.
After the Pakistan Muslim League (N) won in Punjab in the 2008 general election, Shehbaz was appointed Chief Minister for a second term. He again became Chief Minister following the 2013 provincial election, continuing until the party lost in the 2018 election. Altogether, he spent more than twelve years as Chief Minister of Punjab, the longest anyone has held the position. During this time, he became known for infrastructure projects and efficient administration, especially in Lahore, where developments like the Lahore Metro Bus and Orange Line Metro Train started under his watch.
Following Nawaz Sharif's disqualification from public office due to the Panama Papers case, Shehbaz was named president of the PML(N). After the 2018 general election, he became leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, taking on the role of main challenger to Prime Minister Imran Khan. In April 2022, after a successful no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif became Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the country's 23rd Prime Minister. His first term lasted until the 2024 general election, after which, despite the PML(N) winning only a minority of seats in a contested election, he formed a coalition government and was elected Prime Minister for a second time.
Before Fame
Shehbaz Sharif grew up in a family heavily involved in business and commerce. The Sharif family ran the Ittefaq Group, a major industrial company in Pakistan focused on steel and manufacturing. Shehbaz was part of managing these businesses before he fully switched to politics. This background gave him early experience in administration, negotiation, and economic planning.
His political career was closely linked to his elder brother Nawaz Sharif's rise in the 1980s, a time in Pakistan marked by General Zia ul-Haq's military rule and shifts in political alliances. During this period, the Sharif family built their political influence in Punjab. Shehbaz's election to the Punjab Assembly in 1988, the year General Zia passed away and Pakistan returned to civilian rule, started a political career that would shape the next four decades.
Key Achievements
- Served as Chief Minister of Punjab for three terms spanning over twelve years, the longest tenure in the role in Pakistan's history.
- Elected Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2022 following the no-confidence removal of Imran Khan, and again in 2024 after forming a coalition government.
- Oversaw major infrastructure development in Punjab, including the Lahore Metro Bus System and the Orange Line Metro Train.
- Led the Pakistan Muslim League (N) as party president through a period of intense political and legal pressure on the Sharif family.
- Served as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly from 2018 to 2022, maintaining PML(N) as the primary opposition force.
Did You Know?
- 01.Shehbaz Sharif is the longest-serving Chief Minister of Punjab, having held the post for more than twelve years across three separate terms.
- 02.He and his family spent several years in self-exile in Saudi Arabia following the 1999 military coup, only returning to Pakistan in 2007.
- 03.He was previously married to Tehmina Durrani, a Pakistani author known for her memoir 'My Feudal Lord,' which detailed her difficult marriage to former Punjab Governor Ghulam Mustafa Khar.
- 04.The Lahore Orange Line Metro Train, the first urban rail project in Pakistan, was developed under his administration as Chief Minister of Punjab.
- 05.He became PML(N) president after his brother Nawaz Sharif was disqualified from politics by the Supreme Court in the aftermath of the Panama Papers investigation.