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Nawaz Sharif
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif
(1949- ), Pakistani politician and industrialist, prime minister (1990-1993,
1997-1999) and leader of the opposition to the government of Benazir Bhutto.
Nawaz Sharif was born in Lahore in 1949 and
studied law at the university there. He was employed with his family’s Ittefaq
Group, which was run mostly by his younger brother. His political career began
in his home province of Punjab, where he became finance minister in the
provincial government in 1981. In 1985 Sharif was elected to the National
Assembly and also became chief minister of Punjab. He was elected again in 1988,
when he led the Islamic Democratic Alliance (a coalition of Islamic parties,
including the Pakistan Muslim League) in the first elections held after the
death of military dictator General Muhammad Zia ul-Haq. In 1990 the first
government of Benazir Bhutto, who had served as prime minister since 1988, was
dismissed. The Islamic Democratic Alliance won the 1990 elections that followed,
and Nawaz Sharif became prime minister. His administration was marked by a
commitment to economic reform and steps toward privatization of Pakistan’s
extensive state industrial and financial sector—processes not without
controversy. Sharif’s government became increasingly mired in a clash with the
president, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who had retained wide powers under the
constitution drawn up by General Zia.
In early 1993 Sharif was
appointed the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League. This led to a period of
bitter political wrangling that culminated in both Sharif and the president
stepping down in July. The Muslim League failed to win a majority of legislative
seats in the elections held in October, but Sharif remained leader of the Muslim
League. In 1997 the Muslim League won February elections, and Sharif again
became prime minister. He promptly introduced new legislation to curb the powers
of the president.
In May 1999 Kashmīri
separatists seized Indian-controlled territory in the disputed region of Kashmīr.
Sharif incurred the ire of the Pakistani army by blaming the attack on his army
chief, Pervez Musharraf. In October 1999 Sharif fired Musharraf and attempted to
keep him from returning to Pakistan from abroad by
refusing to let his airplane land. Army forces loyal to Musharraf overthrew the
government, and Musharraf declared himself the chief executive of Pakistan.
Sharif was arrested and tried for a number of charges related to his order to
keep Musharraf's airplane from landing. In April 2000 Sharif was convicted of
kidnapping, hijacking, and abuse of power and was sentenced to life
imprisonment. The military government of Musharraf commuted Sharif's sentence in
December, however, and he was allowed to live in exile in Saudi Arabia.
Return to Pakistan 2007
The construction of Pakistan's first motorway began during Nawaz Sharifs first
term in office.
On September 7, 2007, Justice Shabbir Hussain Chatha ordered police to arrest
Shahbaz Sharif, brother of Nawaz Sharif and produce him before the court, after
the hearing in Lahore. The court ruled that "Shahbaz Sharif should be arrested
(at) whichever airport he lands at". Nawaz Sharif also faced detention on the
pair's planned return from exile to Pakistan on September 10, 2007, to challenge
President Pervez Musharraf's eight-year military rule.
On September 10, Nawaz Sharif arrived in Islamabad on a Pakistan International
Airlines (PIA) flight from London but was prevented from leaving the plane as
the authorities at the Islamabad Airport wanted to escort him to the arrival
lounge. The rest of the passengers on board were allowed to deplane, and
negotiations began with Sharif as he, along with his few supporters, did not
want an escort and wanted to deplane themselves.
Sharif finally agreed to be taken out of the plane, and was taken to the arrival
lounge and upon his arrival there he was approached by the National
Accountability Bureau chief who issued a warrant due to corruption charges made
against him. After that, Nawaz Sharif boarded another airliner to be exiled back
to Saudi Arabia. "He has been sent back", a senior security official told Agence
France-Presse, as local television showed a PIA airplane carrying the deported
Sharif from Islamabad airport.
Later on September 10, Nawaz Sharif landed at Jeddah airport and was greeted by
Saudi intelligence chief Prince Miqren bin Abdul Aziz. Pakistan's Religious
Affairs Minister Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq stated that "He has not only embarrassed
Pakistan but also the leadership of Saudi Arabia by violating the agreement."
Although Nawaz Sharif had denied the existence of any 'exile deal' with the
government before his homecoming, he later admitted that there was an agreement
but that it was for only five years.
On presenting him before the Court, the European Union asked the Pakistani
government to respect the court ruling. In Washington, D.C., Sean McCormack of
the White House (joined by India) stated that the deportation was an "internal
matter" but said that elections should be "free and fair" (but expressing mild
disapproval of Pervez Musharraf's action). But the United States organisation
Human Rights Watch accused the Pakistan Government of violating international
law. Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League condemned the deportation by filing a
contempt suit in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. His brother Shahbaz Sharif was
due to travel with Sharif from London but changed his plans at the last minute.
On November 25, 2007, several weeks after the return of Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz
Sharif was able to return to Pakistan. He was not arrested and, like Bhutto, was
able to return to political activity.
A private television channel allegedly reported that Nawaz's media manager
Pervaiz Rasheed seized tapes and intimidated their staff after Nawaz lost his
temper in an interview. According to the director news of the private TV channel
in a press conference, they had been held in hostage during an interview with
former PM Nawaz Sharif. He (Nawaz) had also used unbecoming language against
President Pervaiz Musharraf and PML(Q) top leaders while answering one of his
questions.
2008 elections
On November 26, 2007, Nawaz Sharif filed for the January Parliamentary
elections. He handed in his papers in Lahore filing for two parliamentary seats.
Mr Sharif announced his party's manifesto being a single demand for the
restoration of the judges sacked in November by President Musharraf. Ms Bhutto
however said that this is an issue that the new parliament can decide on.
Assassination of Benazir Bhutto
Main article: Assassination of Benazir Bhutto
On December 27, in a CNN interview just hours after the assassination of former
Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Sharif said:
“ It is not a sad day, it is a dark, darkest, gloomiest day in the history of
this country. ”
Sharif called Bhutto his sister and vowed to avenge her death.
However after the death of Bhutto, Sharif met with Zardari and advised him to
boycott elections. Asif Zardari refused the offer and offered Nawaz to take part
in the elections arguing that the opposition parties would definitely win after
this chain of unfortunate events in the country and mishandling of issues by the
government. Nawaz accepted the offer and announced it publicly in a press
conference. He gave the reason that in order to bring the President's government
down the whole opposition must assemble and move in one direction.
On Monday, February 18 the PML (N) dominated the Punjab assembly and won 68
seats out of 272 from the National Assembly finishing second, directly behind
the PPP (Bhutto/Zardari's party) at 88. However, after adding the reserved seats
for women and minorities, total number rose to 91. The results became clear on
February 19. His massive victory in Punjab was met by a festive mood. Later that
day in a press conference he said that he would welcome the political leaders
back to the parent party who had left his party and joined the PML (Q). Former
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of slain
former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto told February 21, 2008 their parties will
work together in the national parliament after scoring big wins in the 2008
election.
On Tuesday, February 26, 2008, Nawaz announced that he and his brother Shabaz
Sharif would run in by-elections upcoming in the country within the next few
weeks, to become Members of Parliament, since they have no restrictions against
them. the PML (N) left it to the PPP to chose a Prime Minister, since they
agreed on forming a coalition government.
Nawaz Sharif has challenged the petition filed by the federal government against
the acceptance of Mr Sharif’s candidature for National Assembly seat-121. Ashtar
Ausaf Ali, former Advocate General of Punjab, is the lawyer representing Nawaz
Sharif.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on
June 27, 2008, won 3 and 2 by-election seats, respectively, to the national
parliament. Polls were postponed for the 6th seat in Lahore due to Nawaz
Sharif's eligibility contest. A court ruled he was ineligible due to the old
conviction, amid the government appeal in the Supreme Court, which will hear the
case on June 30, thus postponing the vote in the constituency. The two parties
also won 19 of 23 provincial assembly seats where by-elections were held. The
results will not affect the February 18 general election results in which
Benazir Bhutto's PPP won 123 seats in the 342-seat National Assembly and
Sharif's party came second with 91, while PML-Q which supported Pervez Musharraf
came a poor third with 54 seats. Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) won 8
provincial assembly seats, while the PPP won 7 provincial seats..
Resignations from the Coalition Government
On May 12, PML (N) announced it was leaving the government after its failure to
reinstate the judges; its ministers resigned.
2008 Musharraf impeachment
On August 7, 2008, the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (N)
agreed to force Musharraf to step down and begin his impeachment. Asif Ali
Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, announced sending a formal request or joint charge
sheet that he steps down, and impeach him through parliamentary process upon
refusal. Musharraf, however, said: “I will defeat those who try to push me to
the wall. If they use their right to oust me, I have the right to defend
myself." Pervez Musharraf, accordingly delayed his departure for the Beijing
Olympics, by a day. A senior coalition official told Reuters: "Yes, we have
agreed in principle to impeach him." The draft of the ruling coalition’s joint
statement had been finalized by the draft Committee, and Musharraf must obtain
vote of confidence from the National Assembly and 4 provincial assemblies. The
government summoned the national assembly, or lower house of parliament, to sit
on August 11. Capt. Wasif Syed, spokesman for the Pakistan Peoples Party,
confirmed: "A decision has been made that he has to go now, and all the parties
have agreed on this point".
On 18 August 2008, Musharraf resigned as President of Pakistan. He said he was
resigning for the country.
Presidential election
Pakistan's Election Commission on August 22 announced that Presidential
elections would be held on September 6, and the nomination papers could be filed
from August 26. The president is elected by the 2 houses of parliament and the 4
provincial assemblies.[ There was speculation that Nawaz Sharif would run for
President, but on August 25, 2008, Nawaz Sharif announced that Saeeduzzaman
Siddiqui would be the Pakistan Muslim League (N) nominee to replace Pervez
Musharraf as President of Pakistan. Siddiqui was defeated by Asif Ali Zardari
for the presidency.
Reinstatement of Judges
Nawaz Sharif stated in Lahore that: "I want to inform the entire nation that on
Monday 12 May 2008, all deposed judges will be restored; the national assembly
will approve a resolution the same day." The judges include Iftikhar Chaudhry,
Supreme Court Chief Justice, and President Musharraf sacked 60 judges under the
state of emergency. On 12 May 2008 the day that PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif stated
that the deposed judges sacked under President Musharraf's emergency rule last
November, would be reinstated, Mr Sharif over the weekend beginning 9 - 11 May
met PPP Partner Asif Ali Zardari in London to discuss the deadlock and the
official date of when the judges would be reinstated, but the meetings
dissolved, with no agreement that both party officials could agree upon.
Returning to Islamabad Nawaz spoke to media mogul Geo Television Network and
announced that he is withdrawing his party members from the federal
government(cabinet) and effectively resigning from the coalition government.
After repeated meetings with the ruling party and the refusal by the president
to restore the deposed judges, Sharif decided to join the lawyers movement
planned on completion of two years of first dismissal of chief justice on March
9, 2007. the plan was to start a long march from Karachi and Quetta
simultaneously on March 12, 2009, reaching Islamabad and staging a permanent
sit-in till restoration of all deposed judges. The government got very confused,
with initially house arresting Sharif and other prominent lawyers and raising
the greatest ever road blocks by placing containers all over the road to
islamabad. There was no way that anyone could get in or out of the twin cities
of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, not even for the ambulances carrying the sick. When the
long march picked up peak of the tempo, with civil society joining the lawyers
and politicians, it was at 0652 a.m.(PST, 16 March, i.e., before the start of
planned sit-in) that the Prime Minister, after obtaining the President's
approval (in the middle of long meetings of the army chief), announced the
restoration of judges with immediate effect. Thus, Sharif was made a hero for
restoration of original judiciary in the face of so many odds.
Ineligibility to contest
In early 2009, Pakistan's Supreme Court barred Nawaz Sharif from contesting
elections or holding public office, sparking widespread protests and disorder in
some parts of the Punjab province. Sharif planned to attend a banned political
rally in Islamabad on 16 March 2009, but was instead placed under house arrest.
He duped police standing outside his door and went to attend the famous long
march in Islamabad. In the meantime, the Pakistani Government announced to
appeal against the disqualification of Sharif brothers from contesting election
and occupying public office. The next day,the government agreed to reinstate the
deposed judges of the Supreme Court after which Shariff gave his consent to call
off his long march. After that political deadlock, Nawaz Sharif emerged as
popular personality in the politics of Pakistan.
On Friday July 17, 2009, a five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court
announced the brief verdict on Nawaz Sharif’s appeal against his conviction in
the plane hijacking case.
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