After four years of self-imposed exile in London, Pakistan’s three-time Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, returned to Lahore on October 21. His arrival was met with much fanfare and thousands of supporters cheered him on as he began speaking. The seasoned politician has played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s past while continuing to hold significant clout in influencing its present. As for his future, it will depend on multiple factors including his ties with the army and his legal cases. WION breaks down Nawaz Sharif’s past, present and future.
Past
Nawaz Sharif entered into politics in the 1980s when he joined the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and was appointed as the Finance Minister of Punjab in 1981 by former President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.
In 1985, Nawaz Sharif was elected as the Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province. This is his bastion where he still holds significant clout. Husain Haqqani, former Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States told WION, “He has led PML-N in winning three elections and still retains support in Punjab.”
Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N won the general elections in 1990, and he became the Prime Minister of Pakistan for the first time. But soon in 1993, his first term as PM was marred by allegations of corruption and a power struggle with President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, ultimately leading to his dismissal in 1993.
In 1997, Nawaz Sharif was re-elected as Prime Minister for his second term. Under him, Pakistan conducted its first successful Chagai-I nuclear tests in 1998.
But in 1999, there came a significant turning point when Nawaz Sharif’s second term met an abrupt end when a military coup led by General Pervez Musharraf ousted him from power.
Following his ouster, Nawaz Sharif faced exile and legal challenges. These allegations were largely related to his business interests and financial dealings, particularly his family’s ownership of Ittefaq Group, a prominent business conglomerate. Co-founded by his father, Mian Muhammad Sharif, it included several businesses in sectors such as steel, sugar, textiles, and paper.
Nawaz Sharif is accused of using his political influence to benefit the Ittefaq Group and secure favourable contracts and loans from state-owned institutions.
After staying outside Pakistan during the eight-year rule of military dictator Parvez Musharraf, he returned to Pakistan in 2007 from Saudi Arabia.
When WION spoke to a political analyst about Nawaz Sharif’s second return from exile this Saturday, he said, “His arrival suggests that he has made a ‘deal’ with the military establishment as well as the deep state of neighbouring and friendly countries including Saudi Arabia.”
In 2013, Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N won the general elections, and he was re-elected as the Prime Minister for a third term.
Then came the Panama Papers Scandal in 2016 which revealed that Nawaz Sharif’s family had acquired luxury apartments in London through offshore companies, leading to investigations and legal proceedings.
In 2017, he was disqualified from office by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif’s health concerns led to his departure for London in 2019, where he received medical treatment.
Despite his absence from Pakistan, he continued to wield significant influence within the PML-N and on the nation’s politics.
Present
Nawaz Sharif had picked Asim Munir as Pakistan’s Army Chief, and a political analyst in his article for an Indian think tank wrote – “The enemy’s enemy is a friend,” leaving food for thought.
Imran and Munir have a history marked by controversies.
Former PM Shehbaz Sharif reportedly said that Army Chief Gen Asim Munir was removed as the head of ISI in 2019 by Imran Khan because the spy chief had confronted him with proof of corruption involving his wife.
Munir served as the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), after being replaced by Lt. Gen Faiz Hameed in 2019 when Khan was at the helm.
Imran-Bajwa combination also could not pull Pakistan out of the economic mess, in fact, pushed it into greater political instability which led to a no-confidence motion being passed with 174 votes in the National Assembly.
Imran Khan’s criticism of former General Bajwa also grew.
Imran was earlier seen as an anti-corruption figure and an attractive choice for the military establishment but he was found guilty of not disclosing information on gifts presented to Toshakhana.
He is also facing charges of violating the Official Secrets Act by disclosing a secret diplomatic cable (cipher case) sent by the country’s embassy in Washington in March last year.
Future
The PML-N’s performance in the next general elections will be crucial for Sharif. The party will need to win over the supporters of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Michael Kugelman, Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington told WION after Imran Khan’s arrest that PTI without Imran could make electoral gains “if its remaining leadership is able to improve ties with the military.” With Imran lodged inside the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi in Pakistan’s Punjab, the return of Nawaz Sharif changes everything.
Pakistani voters have no choice.
But at the same time, Nawaz Sharif’s past conflicts with the military establishment remain to be a pivotal factor in Pakistani politics. Any future involvement in politics would mean Sharif needs to navigate cautiously.
