Shehbaz Sharif: 10 things to know about ‘hands on’ PM frontrunner of Pakistan

Shehbaz Sharif gestures as he speaks to the media: FILE/REUTERS

Lahore: Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president, who is currently the leader of the Opposition in National Assembly, is seen as frontrunner for Pakistan Prime Minister’s post. This comes after Imran Khan failed the no-confidence vote.

For the past few days, political developments in Pakistan was gaining all limelight and now the world waits to see who the next prime minister will be.

Amid this, a video of Shehbaz Sharif, which has stitched several clips, where during speeches, he can be seen making vigorous hand movements. There are also a few moments where he is seen involuntarily knocking off microphones places at podium by his aggressive hand gestures.

The man in the video, Shehbaz Sharif is touted to be the next PM of Pakistan, after the voting on the no-confidence motion resulted in ruling Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lose with 174 votes.

On 30 March, 2022, Sharif’s candidature as the Opposition’s choice for the Prime Ministership was revealed by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

However, not much is known outside Pakistan about Shehbaz Sharif, but the leader holds a reputation in the country as an effective administrator.

10 things about Shehbaz Sharif, PM frontrunner of Pakistan

1 – Shehbaz Sharif is the younger brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. A businessman by profession, he began his political career after getting elected to the Provincial Assembly of Punjab in the 1988 general election.

2 – One of the interesting things about Shehbaz Sharif is that he has good foreign ties. He has accompanied the elder Sharif on foreign trips, particularly to China. He also shares a good relationship Turkish president Recep Ergdogan.

3 – Also, Shehbaz’s favour is that he is seen to have a less prickly relationship with the military than his brother.

4 – Shehbaz Sharif, 70-year-old Pakistan politician, was leading the opposition’s attempt to topple the government led by Imran Khan.

5 – In 1990, Shehbaz Sharif was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan. However, his term in the Assembly ended prematurely when it was dissolved in 1993.

6 – In 1997, Shehbaz Sharif became the chief minister of the politically important province of Punjab. A military coup in 1999 deposed the government, forcing Shehbaz and his family to spend years in self-exile in Saudi Arabia. He returned to Pakistan only in 2007.

7 – In 2008, Shehbaz Sharif was appointed the chief minister of Punjab for a second term after the PML-N’s victory in the province. He was also nominated as the PML-N president after his brother Nawaz Sharif was disqualified from holding office.

8 – He was once again elected as chief minister of Punjab in 2013, making him the longest-serving CM of the province. He served his term until the party’s defeat in the 2018 polls. It was in 2018, he lost the elections to Imran Khan and was nominated for the office of Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly.

9 – A report by Bloomberg mentioned Shehbaz Sharif sleeps only for four hours each night, while dedicating the rest of his time to work.

10 – The younger Sharif has not escaped corruption allegations or controversy that have dogged his elder brother. In 2003, while still in exile, Shehbaz was charged with ordering the police in 1998 to kill five religious students suspected to be involved in terrorist acts. He refuted the allegations and said they were politically motivated.

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