Nawaz Sharif Wikipedia in Hindi: Nawaz Sharif was born on December 25, 1949 in Lahore city of Pakistan. He belonged to the family of Muhammad Sharif, who was a businessman and considered one of the biggest industrialists of Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif’s family was a big name in Pakistani politics. Brought Nawaz Sharif in contact with the upper class of the society from the very beginning.
Nawaz Sharif received his early education from St. Anthony’s High School. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Arts and Business from Government College University (GCU), Lahore. Then obtained a law degree from the Law College of Punjab University. He had a business background. But his move into politics was in a new direction. In 1970, Nawaz Sharif married Kulsoom Nawaz. He has four children. His wife Kulsoom Nawaz died in 2018. Nawaz Sharif had never planned to enter political life. But his name emerged in Pakistani politics in the 1980s. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif is one of the richest men in Pakistan.
Beginning of political career-
Nawaz Sharif entered politics in the mid-1980s. Nawaz Sharif took over as the Chief Minister of Punjab province during the rule of General Zia ul Haq, the then military ruler of Pakistan. At that time Pakistan was under military rule and General Zia ul Haq allowed Nawaz Sharif to emerge as a prominent leader despite political interference.
In 1985, Nawaz Sharif began leading the Pakistan Muslim League and soon his party’s political influence began to grow. Under his leadership, various industrial reforms and economic schemes were initiated in Pakistan. After the death of General Zia ul Haq in 1988, Nawaz Sharif’s political journey gained more momentum and he was groomed to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
First chance to become Prime Minister-
Nawaz Sharif contested the election to become Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1990 as a Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) candidate. His party got success in this election. He became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. His first term was from 1990 to 1993. His government took several reformative steps, the most important of which was to stabilize Pakistan’s economy. He took several steps towards industrial reforms, development of infrastructure and improvement in the agricultural sector. However, his tenure was surrounded by controversies. He and his government faced allegations of corruption and centralization of power.
In 1993, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered Nawaz Sharif to resign from office under corruption charges. After this there was a situation of political instability in Pakistan. His opposition leaders justified this decision. Despite this, Nawaz Sharif’s political journey did not end here. He planned to make a comeback in the next elections.
Second chance to become Prime Minister and controversy-
In 1997, Nawaz Sharif once again assumed his position as Prime Minister of Pakistan. This time his tenure was more decisive than ever before. He took many important decisions to improve the internal situation of Pakistan, which proved to be a milestone in the development of Pakistan. Some major reforms and decisions were taken in his second term, the impact of which can be seen in Pakistan even today.
Economic Reforms and Development: Nawaz Sharif made many plans to improve the economy of Pakistan. He invested heavily in infrastructure, including new highways, hydroelectric projects, and thermal power projects. These projects created large-scale employment in Pakistan and stabilized Pakistan’s economy to some extent.
Foreign Policy and Pakistan’s Respect: Nawaz Sharif tried to give Pakistan a strong voice at the international level. He strengthened Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and other Muslim countries. He worked to give Pakistan a prominent place on the global stage and tried to improve Pakistan’s image.
Kashmir Issue: His stance on Kashmir dispute always remained strong. He made his position clear several times on the Kashmir issue to protect the rights of Pakistan. Although the Kargil war broke out between Pakistan and India in 1999, Nawaz Sharif made diplomatic efforts to stop the war, which was appreciated in many places.
Dubai exile and political comeback
After General Musharraf seized power, Nawaz Sharif left Pakistan and went into exile in Dubai. But in 2007, Nawaz Sharif decided to return to Pakistan. There was deep disagreement among the political and military institutions in Pakistan regarding this step.
The return of Nawaz Sharif brought a new turn in the politics of Pakistan. His supporters welcomed him as ‘the nation’s hero’, while his opponents saw it as a political ploy. Nawaz Sharif re-established his strong presence in Pakistani politics through his party Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).
He participated in the elections of Pakistan after political comeback and returned to power.
Situation of Pakistan during the rule of Nawaz Sharif-
Many reforms took place in Pakistan’s economy during the reign of Nawaz Sharif. He invested in infrastructure, such as starting road, power and water projects. There was some improvement in the economic condition of Pakistan and foreign investment in the country increased.
However, allegations of corruption also emerged during his rule and many political opposition leaders accused him of centralization of power.
Removal by Supreme Court and ups and downs in politics-
In 2017, the Supreme Court of Pakistan convicted Nawaz Sharif in the ‘Panama Papers’ scam. As a result, Nawaz Sharif had to resign from the post of Prime Minister and was sidelined from politics. This was a turning point in Pakistani politics and Nawaz Sharif saw it as a political persecution.
Image and respect of Nawaz Sharif-
Nawaz Sharif is seen by his supporters as a strong leader who always fights for his people. He is respected as a good person and leader. His opponents consider him a leader surrounded by corruption charges.
But it is also true that Nawaz Sharif has been an important name in Pakistani politics. His contribution will be remembered in the political and economic journey of Pakistan.
International influence and respect of Nawaz Sharif-
Nawaz Sharif has a respectable position outside Pakistan also. He is respected in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries. His foreign policy and his efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s international image were appreciated.
Relations and disputes with India-
Pakistan’s relations with India were full of ups and downs during the tenure of Nawaz Sharif. The Kargil War (1999) was a turning point between Pakistan and India. However, Nawaz Sharif made efforts to restore peace with India after the war. In 1997, talks were held with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his visit to Lahore, which was considered important for both the countries.
After this meeting, both countries agreed on confidence building measures and made efforts to reduce the border conflict. However, relations between Pakistan and India remained tense after the war. Nawaz Sharif’s relationship with the Pakistan military soured, and in 1999, when General Pervez Musharraf staged a coup, Nawaz Sharif was removed from power.
Corruption allegations-
After returning to Pakistan in 2007, he patiently spent time while in the opposition. His party, the PML-N, won almost a quarter of the seats in parliament in the 2008 elections. Many were surprised by his chances of winning the 2013 elections. But he won on a large scale. He defeated a strong challenge from the party of former cricketer Imran Khan in Pakistan’s politically crucial Punjab province, paving the way for him to become prime minister. But after assuming power in 2013, Sharif was defeated by Imran Khan’s PTI party. Islamabad faced a six-month siege by the IPC, who alleged that the elections were rigged. There were also allegations that the siege was carried out by the reputed intelligence of Pakistan’s military. The agency was started at the behest of some officials of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Analysts believed that the military establishment was trying to put pressure on Sharif to avoid expanding trade ties with India, which had begun under the previous government.
However, on July 6, 2018, a Pakistani court found him guilty of corruption and sentenced him – in absentia – to 10 years in prison. When the sentence was handed down, he was in London attending to his wife, who was seriously ill. Sharif’s daughter and son-in-law were also convicted.
Nawaz Sharif has been living in London since 2021, where he is receiving medical treatment. In Pakistan, he is seen by many supporters as a fighting leader and a politician who has contributed to the development of the country, although he also faces serious allegations of corruption.
Nawaz Sharif’s life and journey in politics is a mixture of struggle and prosperity. Many good decisions were taken for Pakistan during his tenure. But some controversies also emerged. His efforts in Pakistan-India relations were appreciated, although some controversies led to the end of his rule. Nawaz Sharif holds an important position in the politics of Pakistan, and the impact of his policies can be seen in Pakistan even today.