Former Pakistan prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, reached London where he held meetings with his brother and three-time prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, this week.
According to local media reports, the two have agreed to form a committee to work out the legal matters regarding Nawaz Sharif's return to Pakistan to lead the election campaign for the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N).
The 73-year-old is the elder brother of Shehbaz, who until last week served as the country's prime minister, coming into power from Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), following the ousting of PTI's Imran Khan from power last year.
Considering that the leader of Pakistan's most popular party as per the polls, PTI's Khan, has been imprisoned for a three-year jail term, there is a vacuum in Pakistan's political landscape and PML-N’s President Nawaz Sharif is looking to make a comeback into politics.
However, Nawaz has spent the last five years in self exile in London after he was ousted from power and faced a long jail term over multiple corruption charges in Pakistan. In total he served as the country's prime minister for more than nine years, with three non-consecutive terms, making him the longest-serving prime minister of the country.
Nawaz's Political Journey
Sharif has been in Pakistani politics since the mid-1980s, starting out as the minister of finance for the province of Punjab. He was later elected as chief minister of Punjab in 1985 and re-elected after the end of martial law in 1988.
In 1990, Sharif became the 12th prime minister of Pakistan by leading the party called Islamic Democratic Alliance. In 2017 during his most recent tenure as prime minister, he was removed from office by the Supreme Court over revelations from the Panama Papers case.
During his early days as a politician, Sharif was known to be quite ruthless to his opposition party members and as prime minister he was accused of imprisoning journalists, trying to bring in Sharia Law (a strict version of Islam originating from the 7th century) to Pakistan and even undermining the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He also faced multiple allegations that some of his wealth had come through illegal government contracts, unlawful write-offs of loans and tax evasion.
According to multiple sources, Sharif is one of the wealthiest men in Pakistan, with an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion.
Free Market Proponent
For millions of his followers, Nawaz Sharif is known as the "Lion of Punjab". Much to the dismay of animal rights advocates, his party leaders used to bring adult white lions in cages to PML-N political rallies as a mascot.
It was Nawaz Sharif who built the famous motorway in Pakistan, constructed several roads and bridges in Punjab, focusing on improving the province’s infrastructure. He visited Beijing as prime minister in 2013, where he signed an agreement pledging to develop a long-term plan for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Since, then CPEC has played a key role in transforming the development landscape of Pakistan with the launch of several multi-billion dollar projects, some of which include coal-fired power plants, the Orange Line mass transit project, Gwadar seaport and road infrastructure.
Regarding Sharif's personality, it is known that he is a devout Muslim who is regular with prayers, and often goes to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage, but in cultural terms he is quite modern. He is known to enjoy music, movies and traveling. Moreover, he has a good sense of humor and likes to buy designer clothes and accessories from Parisian luxury brands.
Nevertheless, the opposition members of PML-N feel that Sharif might not be able to stir the country in the right direction given that he had tried three times previously and each time was removed before the end of his term. He was accused of letting his generals run things around him during his previous premierships and his recent exit from Pakistan had also put a damper on his political legacy.
Absconder of Law
In 2019, Nawaz Sharif was declared an absconder and later a proclaimed offender when he failed to return to Pakistan after being granted an eight-week bail by Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Following the Panama Papers scandal in which he was accused of corruption, he was sentenced to seven years in prison, but he spent only three weeks in jail before seeking bail stating "medical concerns". Soon after receiving bail, he left Pakistan for London for medical treatments.
In 2018 the PML-N lost the general elections and Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) won most seats. PTI stayed in power for four years, but in April 2022, the PML-N formed a ruling coalition government, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), together with other political parties and ousted PTI chief Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in parliament.
The coalition government came to power with Shehbaz Sharif becoming the prime minister of Pakistan. Since then, most of the corruption cases that the Sharif family had been facing have been cleared.
Nawaz Sharif's expected return to Pakistan next month would also coincide with the retirement of Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, who PML-N leaders have termed an impediment in the way of Sharif's return.
Hence, after Sharif returns to Pakistan and faces the law, he will lead the PML-N's political campaign. If his party sweeps the upcoming elections he will become prime minister of Pakistan for the fourth time.
There is no doubt that Sharif will have to use his vast reservoir of political experience to make his new term a success, but with the current situation in Pakistan the challenges ahead for him are formidable.