Who is Shehbaz Sharif, new Prime Minister of Pakistan after Imran Khan's ouster

Shehbaz Sharif is a veteran Pakistani politician and the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

(Photo credit: Reuters)

New Delhi: Shehbaz Sharif has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday after Imran Khan's ouster following a successful no-confidence motion. Sharif is a veteran Pakistani politician and the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Known for a more western friendly politics, Sharif was chosen as the new leader of Pakistan by the assembly after completing the ousting of predecessor Imran Khan sparked a mass resignation of lawmakers.

After the vote, Sharif vowed to tackle an economic malaise that has seen the rupee hit an all-time low and the central bank hike rates by its largest amount in decades last week.

Before becoming the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif served as the opposition of leader in the Pakistan National Assembly from 2020-to 22. His elder brother and popular politician Nawaz Sharif has held the position before.

Born in an industrial family in Lahore, Shehbaz Sharif is a graduate of the Government College University. He initially joined his family`s steel business and became the president of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries in 1985.

Shehbaz Sharif’s entry into politics

Shehbaz Sharif’s controversial journey in politics began in the 1980s under the dictatorship of Zia-ul-Haq when elder brother Nawaz Sharif was inducted into the Punjab Provincial Cabinet as Finance Minister.

Sharif, who by then began taking an active interest in politics, entered the Punjab Provincial Assembly in 1988. He was elected to the National Assembly in 1990.

In 1993, Sharif contested for a Provincial Assembly seat and became leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly.

However, his term was cut short by Pervez Musharraf`s military coup of 1999. He then became the CM of the Punjab province for the first time in 2008, returning from almost a decade long political exile.

Shehbaz Sharif was elected unopposed as the President of PML-N in February 2018 following his elder brother, and then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif`s disqualification from holding key positions after being implicated in the `Panama Papers.`

Shehbaz Sharif and corruption

Like his elder brother, Shehbaz Sharif also faces serious corruption charges.

In December 2019, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) froze 23 properties belonging to Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza, accusing them of money laundering. He was arrested by the NAB in the same case in September 2020 and incarcerated pending trial.