Nawaz Sharif

Nawaz Sharif (born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan 3 times non-consecutively; from 1990-1993, 1997 until being overthrown in a coup d'etat in 1999 by Pervez Musharraf, and 2013 until his impeachment and arrest in 2017 after being convicted of corruption. The son of Muhammad Sharif, a steel magnate, much of Sharif's wealth comes from his family business. He was elected Chief Minister on Punjab in 1985, being re-elected in 1988 after the end of martial law. After leading the right-wing Islamic Democratic Alliance, he became Prime Minister in 1990. During his tenure, he increased General Zia ul-Haq's controversial Islamization as well as expanded the nuclear energy program for his country. He also sided with the United Nations during the Gulf War. After Benazir Bhutto became Prime Minister in 1993, he served as the leader of the opposition, in which he founded the Pakistan Muslim League party. He was elected again in 1997 in which he tested nuclear weapons the following year, causing a skirmish with neighboring India. In November 1997, he was accused of deposing 2 judges who were close to Chief Justice Sajad Alishah. Although President Farooq Leghari ordered him to be removed, the military backed Sharif. The M2 Motorway, which was built under him, was criticized as it appropriated funds from other projects. As such, the economy was in turmoil by the end of his second term. After the Kargil War in Kashmir against India in 1999, Sharif attempted to remove Musharraf as the Chief of Army. Musharraf later ordered the country to be put under martial law and Sharif was later arrested and exiled to London and Saudi Arabia. After Musharraf himself resigned, Sharif returned to Pakistan. He was elected Prime Minister a third time in 2013. Although he was praised for recognizing Pakistan's minorities as well as his Vision 2025 mission, his government was responsible for the hyperinflation as well as large debt. After Sharif was named in the Panama Papers leak for having ties with 8 offshore companies, he was impeached in 2017 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was disqualified from holding a political position for life.