Nawaz Sharif

Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani politician and businessman who served as Prime Minister of Pakistan three times, making him the longest-serving prime minister in the country's history in total years in office. Born on 25 December 1949 in Lahore into the prominent Sharif business family, he studied law at Government College Lahore and the University of the Punjab before entering politics.

Political career

Nawaz entered politics in the 1980s, serving as Chief Minister of Punjab (1985-1990) under General Zia-ul-Haq's regime. He first became Prime Minister in 1990, was removed in 1993, and returned to power in 1997. During his second term, he ordered Pakistan's nuclear tests in 1998, making the country a declared nuclear power, and initiated the Lahore Declaration peace process with India in 1999 — months before being overthrown in a military coup led by General Pervez Musharraf.

Following years in exile, he returned and won a historic third term in the 2013 election, becoming the first Pakistani prime minister to complete a full five-year term. His government oversaw major infrastructure projects including the motorway network and the metro systems of Lahore and Rawalpindi. He was disqualified from office in 2017 in the aftermath of the Panama Papers case, and later sentenced in corruption cases, spending time in prison before travelling abroad for medical treatment and returning in 2023-24.

Legacy

As the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Nawaz Sharif has been the defining figure of Pakistan's centre-right politics for three decades. His family — including brother Shehbaz Sharif and daughter Maryam Nawaz — has continued to dominate national politics. He is widely credited with prioritising economic growth and infrastructure, while his repeated conflicts with the military establishment have shaped the country's political history.