Nawaz Sharif (b. 1949)

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Biography

Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani politician and businessman who served as the prime minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms, first serving from 1990 to 1993, then from 1997 to 1999 and later from 2013 to 2017. He is the longest-serving prime minister in the country's history, having served a total of more than 9 years across three tenures, with each term ending in his ousting.

In Their Own Words (1)

As Guardian journalist Jon Boone wrote in 2013, “Sharif tried to turn Pakistan into an Islamic caliphate ruled by sharia.”

2013

Timeline

The story of Nawaz Sharif, told in moments.

1990 Event

Elected Prime Minister of Pakistan for the first time. Runs on a platform of economic liberalization and Islamization. The economy grows. He's dismissed after three years. The charge: corruption. The pattern establishes itself.

Was being dismissed for corruption after three years the first cycle? Did economic liberalization and Islamization sit comfortably together? Was the pattern of election, dismissal, return visible early?

1998 Event

Orders Pakistan's nuclear tests at Chagai Hills in response to India's tests. Five nuclear detonations. Pakistan becomes the world's seventh nuclear power. International sanctions follow. His approval rating at home soars.

Did ordering nuclear tests feel like defending Pakistan or provoking the world? Was becoming the seventh nuclear power worth the sanctions? Did the approval rating at home justify everything?

1999 Life

Overthrown by General Pervez Musharraf in a military coup. Arrested, convicted of hijacking and terrorism, then exiled to Saudi Arabia. He'll come back. Pakistani politics is circular.

Was being overthrown by Musharraf a surprise? Is Pakistani politics truly circular? Did exile in Saudi Arabia feel permanent?

2024 Event

Elected Prime Minister for the fourth time. He's been overthrown, exiled, convicted, pardoned, and re-elected. Three decades of Pakistani politics compressed into one career.

Was being elected for the fourth time vindication? Does three decades of being overthrown, exiled, convicted, and re-elected feel like persistence or punishment? What has Pakistani politics taught you about power?

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