Shehbaz Sharif: From being exiled for 8 years to succeeding Imran Khan as Pakistan PM

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif has been elected as 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan after unceremonious exit of Imran Khan who became country's first premier to be ousted through a -confidence motion. Shehbaz, who belongs to an industrialist family and is younger bror of former three-time premier Nawaz Sharif.

Shehbaz Sharif has served three times as Chief Minister of Pakistan's Punjab, which is a politically crucial province. This is first time his party has agreed on his name for post of PM.

His name was first recommended by former President and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)'s Asif Ali Zardari for premier's position in opposition meeting to replace Imran Khan through a -trust motion.

Shehbaz's political career

Born in 1951 in a Punjabi-speaking Kashmir family in Lahore, he entered political arena in 1988 with his election to Punjab Provincial Assembly. In 1990, he was elected to National Assembly. He became chief minister of Punjab in 1997. 

Following General Pervez Musharraf's coup in 1999 oustering Nawaz Sharif government at Centre, Shehbaz along with family spent eight years in exile in Saudi Arabia before returning to Pakistan in 2007. He against held Chief Minister's post in 2008 and 2013, respectively. 

Younger Nawaz had claimed that General Musharraf had offered him Prime Minister's post if he agrees to dump his bror which he claimed he had refused straight away. 

In 2017, when n-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified from holding office after his name emerged in Panama Papers case, PML(N) appointed Shehbaz as party president. However, Nawaz preferred Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to lead country for 10-month period before next elections.

Reportedly, Nawaz Sharif wanted his daughter Maryam Nawaz to become prime minister this time but she is convicted in Avenfield corruption case. With choice, three-time PM minated Nawaz for top executive post. 

Maryam Nawaz, who is party's vice president, says that her uncle has served country selflessly and tirelessly. "A man who set an example of unflinching loyalty to his bror despite worst personal and political victimisation. A man who has been and always will be a second far to me."

Relations with Army

According to experts, Shehbaz enjoys cordial relations with Army, which has ruled country for more than half of its 75 years of existence and has a say in matters of security and foreign policy.

His elder son Hamza Shehbaz is Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Punjab Assembly. Hamza is also contesting chief minister election against PTI coalition candidate Parvez Elahi.

Shehbaz's far Muhammad was an industrialist who emigrated from Kashmir's Anantnag for business and settled in Jati Umra vill in Punjab's Amritsar district at beginning of 20th century. 

After Partition, Shehbaz's family relocated from Amritsar to Lahore where Sharifs named ir residence Jati Umra' (at Raiwind, on outskirts of Lahore).

With PTI inputs