Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif میاں محمد نواز شریف
14th, 16th & 20th Prime Minister of Pakistan
In office 17 February 1997 – 12 October 1999
President	Farooq Leghari Wasim Sajjad
Preceded by	Malik Meraj Khalid
Succeeded by	Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali
In office 26 May 1993 – 18 July 1993
President	Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Preceded by	Balakh Sher Mazari
Succeeded by	Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi
In office 06 November 1990 – 18 April 1993
President	Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Preceded by	Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi
Succeeded by	Balakh Sher Mazari
Born	25 December 1949 (1949-12-25) (age 58) Lahore, Pakistan
Political party	PML
Religion	Sunni Islam

Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu: میاں محمد نواز شریف ) (born December 25, 1949 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan)^[1] is a Pakistani politician. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, in Urdu وزیر اعظم Wazir-e- Azam meaning "Grand Minister", is the Head of Government Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari ( Urdu: سردار فاروق احمد خان لغاری) (born May 29 1940 was President of Pakistan from November 14 Wasim Sajjad (born 30 March 1941 was President of Pakistan on two occasions serving as interim President prior to elections Malik Meraj Khalid ( 20 September 1916 - 13 June 2003) the caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan from November 1996 till February 1997 Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali ( Urdu / Baloch: میر ظفراللہ خان جمالی) (born January 1, 1944) is a former Prime Minister Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Ghulam Ishaq Khan (abbreviated as GIK) ( Urdu / Pashto: غلام اسحاق خان) ( January 20, 1915 – October 27 Mir Balakh Sher Mazari is the Chieftain ( Tumandar) and the Paramount Sardar of the Mazari tribe, which is situated on the tri-border area of Balochistan Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi, usually referred to as Moeen Qureshi, (born 1930 is a Pakistani economist and Political figure. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Ghulam Ishaq Khan (abbreviated as GIK) ( Urdu / Pashto: غلام اسحاق خان) ( January 20, 1915 – October 27 Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi ( Urdu: غلام مصطفیٰ جتوئی) (born 14 August 1931) is a Pakistani politician and was Prime Minister Mir Balakh Sher Mazari is the Chieftain ( Tumandar) and the Paramount Sardar of the Mazari tribe, which is situated on the tri-border area of Balochistan Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Pakistan Muslim League (N ( Urdu: پاکستان مسلم لیگ ن) is a Political party in Pakistan. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. The Punjab ( Urdu:) province of Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and He was twice elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan, serving two non-consecutive terms, the first from November 1, 1990 to July 18, 1993 and the second from February 17, 1997 to October 12, 1999. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, in Urdu وزیر اعظم Wazir-e- Azam meaning "Grand Minister", is the Head of Government Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) His party is the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (Nawaz group). A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral The Pakistan Muslim League (N ( Urdu: پاکستان مسلم لیگ ن) is a Political party in Pakistan. He is best known internationally for ordering Pakistan's 1998 nuclear tests in response to India’s nuclear tests,^[2], and the abrupt end of his final term in a dramatic coup by General Pervez Musharraf. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pokharan-II refers to test explosions of five Nuclear devices three on 11 May and two on 13 May 1998 conducted by India General (ret Pervez Musharraf ( (born 11 August 1943 NI(M, HI(M, TBt, is the former Military dictator and President of

Early life

His family was a prominent merchant family in the Kashmir (Shopian District) valley. This article is about the geographical region of greater Kashmir His father, Muhammad Sharif, migrated in 1947 to Pakistan from Amritsar India after independence. Muhammad Sharif ( Urdu: محمد شریف) was a prominent industrialist and father of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan. Muhammad Sharif was a businessman and co-owned the [[Ittefaq Group|Ittefaq Group of Industries. ]^[3]. Ittefaq Group saw its unprecedented rise during the time of Gen. Zia ul Haq, who promoted Nawaz Sharif to enter in the politics and be his right hand man in the most important province of Punjab. The Punjab ( Urdu:) province of

Nawaz Sharif was educated at Saint Anthony’s High School and Government College (Lahore), and received a law degree from Punjab University. Government College University Lahore is a co-educational public university located on The Mall in Lahore, Pakistan. Following his education, he entered Punjab provincial politics, joining the Punjab advisory district council. He became finance minister of Punjab in 1981 and also served as minister of sports. He was credited with increasing funding for sports activities and rural projects. ^[4]

Nawaz was a cricketer during his early life, and played a first class game in the 1973-74 season representing Pakistan Railways. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries He also played a side match against West Indies when he was prime minister. During his premiership he used to play cricket only as a batsman.

He married Kulsoom Nawaz, who is the grand-niece of the famous Kashmiri wrestler - The Great Gama. The "Great" Gama (c1880 - 22nd May 1953 or 21st May 1960? also known as Rustam-e-zaman Gama Pahelvan and Lion of the Punjab

Chief Minister of Punjab

Nawaz Sharif began his first term as Chief Minister of Punjab province on April 9, 1985 under the Martial Law Regime of General Zia-ul-Haq, who was his political mentor. The Chief Minister of Punjab (CM is elected by the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab to serve as the head of the provincial government in Punjab Pakistan. General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq ( Arabic: محمد ضياء الحق) (b On May 31, 1988 he was appointed caretaker Chief Minister after the dismissal of assemblies by Zia. After the 1988 general elections which followed Zia’s death in a plane crash, he was again elected as Chief Minister of Punjab. He remained in the position until he became prime minister in 1990. Nawaz Sharif was considered by some to be a man of the establishment. He was elected as the Leader of the Pakistan Muslim League and subsequently the IJI (Islamic Democratic Alliance) by the ISI (Pakistan's Intelligence Agency) as documented in the testimony of the then Army Chief in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Pakistan Muslim League was founded in 1962 as a successor to the previously disbanded Muslim League in Pakistan

Prime Minister

Sharif first became Prime Minister on November 1, 1990, running on a platform of right wing conservatives and vowing for an end to corruption. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) His term was thus interrupted on April 18, 1993, when President Ghulam Ishaq Khan used the reserve powers vested in him by the Eighth Amendment to dissolve the National Assembly and appointed Mir Balakh Sher Mazari as the caretaker prime minister. Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) The President of Pakistan ( Urdū: صدر Sadr-e-Mumlikat) is the Head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Ghulam Ishaq Khan (abbreviated as GIK) ( Urdu / Pashto: غلام اسحاق خان) ( January 20, 1915 – October 27 In a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of Government, a reserve power is a power that may be exercised by the Head of state without the The Constitution (Eighth Amendment Act 1985 was an amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan passed in 1985. The National Assembly is the Lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan. Mir Balakh Sher Mazari is the Chieftain ( Tumandar) and the Paramount Sardar of the Mazari tribe, which is situated on the tri-border area of Balochistan Within six weeks, the Supreme Court overruled the President, reconstituting the National Assembly and returning Sharif to power on May 26. The Supreme Court ( Urdu: عدالت عظمیٰ) is the apex court in Pakistan 's judicial hierarchy the final arbiter of legal and constitutional Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place Sharif resigned from office along with President Ghulam Ishaq Khan on July 18, 1993, after his feud with the president, who had accused him of corruption. Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Moin Qureshi became caretaker prime minister, and was succeeded shortly thereafter by Benazir Bhutto, who was elected to office on October 19, 1993. Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi, usually referred to as Moeen Qureshi, (born 1930 is a Pakistani economist and Political figure. Benazir Bhutto ( Sindhi: بينظير ڀٽو Urdu: بینظیر بھٹو beːnəziːɾ bɦʊʈːoː (21 June 1953 &ndash 27 December 2007 was a Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar)

Second term

Sharif returned to power in February 1997 with such a huge majority that the result was immediately questioned by Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The Pakistan Peoples Party ( PPP) (پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی is Centre-left Political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist Sharif won by obtaining 90 percent of the national votes cast. Doubts against the authenticity of the national elections always persist and are nearly always contended by Pakistan's losing party. Tony Blair stated in a January interview that he "believed the election was true". Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Nawaz Sharif, therefore, holds the record in Pakistani politics for securing the heaviest mandate in a general election in Pakistan.

One of Sharif's first acts during his second term was to orchestrate the scrapping of Article 58-(2)(b) through another Amendment to the Constitution—an exercise in which Sharif’s party was joined by all the other political parties in the National Assembly and Senate. The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was passed so that the President could no longer dismiss the Prime Minister; and the Fourteenth Amendment imposed strict party discipline on members of parliament. The Constitution (Thirteenth Amendment Act 1997 was an amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan passed in 1997 by the government of Prime Minister The Constitution (Fourteenth Amendment Act 1997 was an amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan passed in 1997 during the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Party discipline is the ability of the Parliamentary group of a Political party to get its members to support the policies of the party leadership This allowed party leaders to dismiss any of their legislators if they failed to vote as they were told and made it nearly impossible to dismiss a prime minister by a motion of no confidence. A motion of no confidence (also vote of no confidence, censure motion, no-confidence motion, or confidence motion) is a Parliamentary motion In effect, the two amendments removed nearly all checks on the prime minister's power, since there was virtually no way for him to be legally dismissed once elected. On November 28, 1997, the Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah of the Supreme Court was dismissed against revolt of other judges, orchestrated by Sharif's younger brother, Shahbaz Sharif, and the Chief Minister of Punjab, Justice Rafiq Tarar. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Syed Sajjad Ali Shah was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif also known as Shahbaz Sharif ( Urdu: میاں محمد شہاز شریف) is a well known Pakistani politician and On this issue he fell out with President Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari who, now without the powers to act against the Prime Minister, also resigned. Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari ( Urdu: سردار فاروق احمد خان لغاری) (born May 29 1940 was President of Pakistan from November 14 Rafiq Tarar was rewarded by his being appointed President of Pakistan. Muhammad Rafiq Tarar ( Urdu: محمد رفیق تارڑ) (b November 2, 1929) was President of Pakistan from January 1,

Nawaz Sharif's downfall coincided with his secular actions such as abolishing Friday holidays, distancing him from the conservative religious right wing establishment without taking him closer to the secular section, which preferred the PPP of Benazir Bhutto. Even now his frequent assurance to the west about continued cooperation is diminishing his popularity at home amongst the right wing conservatives who are looking for an alternative candidate to counter the secularist alliance of Musharraf-Benazir duo in the coming elections.

On the development front, Nawaz Sharif completed the construction of South Asia's longest motorway, the 367 km M2, linking Lahore and Islamabad. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type The motorway, which was initiated during Nawaz Sharif's first term, was inaugurated in November 1997 and was constructed at a cost of Rs 37. 5 billion.

The peak of Sharif's popularity came when his government undertook nuclear tests on 28 May 1998 in response to India's nuclear tests two weeks earlier. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling However, after these tests, matters started going downhill. He suspended many civil liberties, dismissed the Sindh provincial government and set up military courts when the stability of the government was threatened. Sindh ( Sindhī: سنڌ Urdu: سندھ is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis.

U. S. Defense Secretary, William S. Cohen, with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, at the Pentagon, December 3, 1998.

Relations with the military

During his first term as prime minister, Sharif had fallen out with three successive army chiefs: with General Mirza Aslam Beg over the 1991 Gulf War issue; with General Asif Nawaz over the Sindh "Operation Clean-Up" issue; and with General Wahid Kakar over the Sharif-Ishaq imbroglio. General (retd Mirza Aslam Beg ( Urdu: مرزا اسلم بیگ) was the Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army succeeding General General Asif Nawaz Khan Janjua ( Urdu: آصف نواز) (d 1993 was the 10th Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army from August 16 General Abdul Wahid Kakar was Chief of Army Staff Pakistan. President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came into

It was under Wahid Kakar that Nawaz Sharif along with the then President of Pakistan Ghulam Ishaq Khan were forced to resign in 1992-93.

At the end of General Waheed’s three-year term in January 1996, General Jehangir Karamat was appointed army chief. General (retd Jehangir Karamat ( Urdu: جہانگیر کرامت) is the former Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army from His term was due to end on January 9, 1999. In October 1998, however, Sharif fell out with General Karamat as well, over the latter’s advocacy of the need for the creation of a "National Security Council" in what Sharif believed was a conspiracy to return the military to a more active role in Pakistani politics. Before that Sharif dismissed the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mansur Ul Haq.

Jehangir Karamat was much later appreciated by Nawaz as a gentleman. Karamat later served as Pakistan's ambassador to USA under Musharraf. He, like other eminent personalities such as Tariq Aziz of the national security council and Manzoor Watoo, a former chief minister of Punjab and Rawalpindi corps commander who stormed Hafsa, has family members who are influenced by a Punjab religious movement of the late 1800s. None of the above claim to belong to that movement personally.

In October 1998, General Karamat resigned and Sharif appointed General Pervez Musharraf as army chief. General (ret Pervez Musharraf ( (born 11 August 1943 NI(M, HI(M, TBt, is the former Military dictator and President of General Jehangir Karamat was seen by many as a straight person who compromised himself and stood for the wishes of the Prime Minister. Sharif would later regret appointing Pervez Musharraf to the Chief of Army position, as Musharraf would lead a coup to topple Sharif's government.

Both Nisar Khan, a Nawaz league leader whose brother was defence secretary and Shehbaz Sharif claim they arranged Musharraf's appointment. Nisar was later interned.

Pakistan's nuclear tests

It was during this term that Pakistan carried out its successful nuclear tests on May 28, 1998, in response to the Indian detonation of five nuclear devices roughly two weeks before. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling The Nawaz government justified the tests on national security grounds, as they demonstrated Pakistan's nuclear deterrent capabilities against an armed Indian nuclear program. India is believed to possess an arsenal of Nuclear weapons and maintains intermediate-range Ballistic missiles to deliver them Under Nawaz Sharif's leadership, Pakistan became the first Islamic country having Nuclear Power and became the 7th nation to become a Nuclear Power. The Nawaz Government proclaimed an emergency on the same day as these nuclear tests were conducted. All fundamental rights were suspended and all the foreign currency accounts in Pakistani banks were frozen to minimize the effects of economic sanctions. This move was not welcomed by all sections of depositors and further deteriorated the investors and people's confidence. The foreign exchange reserves fell even further.

The Lahore Declaration

In order to normalize relations between India and Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif undertook a major initiative in February 1999. This initiative culminated in a visit by the Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to Lahore via bus, across the Wagah border, in 1999. Atal Bihari Vajpayee (अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी əʈəl bɪhaːɾiː ʋaːdʒpeiː (born December 25 1924 The eleventh Prime Minister of India. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Wagah ( Hindi: वाघा Urdu:, Punjabi: ਵਾਘਾ is the only road border crossing between India and Pakistan and lies on the Grand Trunk Nawaz Sharif met him at the Wagah border and a joint communique, known as the Lahore Declaration, was signed between the two leaders. The Lahore Declaration spelled out various steps to be taken by the two countries towards normalizing relations. About the Agra Summit later Mr. Advani narrates “We also noticed the absence of any reference to the Shimla Accord (1972) and the Lahore Declaration (1999) in the text. Musharraf seemed allergic to these pacts, as they were associated with his political rivals. He probably wanted to signal to his people back home that he wanted to start Indo-Pak engagement on a clean slate, all on his own terms and bearing his exclusive imprint”

Kargil Conflict

The Kargil War in 1999 came to haunt the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July It was an international embarrassment and he came under American pressure to withdraw his troops after they intruded into Indian held territory backed by a group Kashmiri infiltrators. India reacted strongly and ordered its troops to oust the intruders which resulted in heavy casualties. After the Indian army removed Pakistani terrorists from the Kargil peak, Nawaz Sharif under pressure from Bill Clinton withdrew his troops unilaterally. Some believe that Sharif was responsible for initiating the intrusions—though he claimed that Army chief Pervez Musharraf was the brain behind the operation. (Information gleaned later showed that Musharraf was instrumental in planning the Kargil and due to American and world pressure was forced to the ultimate withdrawal. ) In a recent interview, he admitted he ‘let down’ Vajpayee on Kargil conflict and also regretted for not having taken an action against Musharraf. ^[5]The retreat was not welcome in Pakistan and Sharif would later reveal that Pakistan had suffered more than 4,000 casualties. Growing fiscal deficits and debt-service payments, mainly due to American sanctions, led to a financial crisis. The government narrowly avoided defaulting on its international loans. With the country suffering from frequent power blackouts, Sharif directed the army in early 1999 to take control of the Water And Power Development Authority (WAPDA) of Pakistan, which had the adverse effect that many active and former military personnel were deployed as heads of civilian agencies. This trend continues to this day.

Proposition of an Islamic society based on the Quran

On August 29, 1998 then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif proposed a law to create an Islamic order in Pakistan and establish a legal system based on the Quran and the Sunnat. ^[6] Sharif told Pakistanis that the proposed Shariat Bill was a charter of duties and not power. On October 8, 1998 Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif presented the Shariat Bill in the National Assembly. The Cabinet decided to present the bill on October 9, after removing some of its controversial aspects. ^[7][8]

The Pakistani government approved and passed the bill on October 10, 1998. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) After the vote, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said: "I congratulate the nation on the passage of the bill which will help create a truly Islamic system". The amendment, which was passed by the National Assembly by 151 votes to 16, was then passed to the upper house of parliament for a final vote. ^[9] Two-thirds majority was needed for passage in the Senate, the upper chamber. On January 16, 1999 the Nawaz Sharif Government imposed Islamic law in the traditional tribal areas of the north-west straddling the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, vowing to impose it throughout the country. ^[10] However, the amendment would fail in the senate and before Nawaz Sharif would recover from that setback, his government was summarily dismissed by a military coup.

Military coup

See: 1999 Pakistani coup d'état

With the public and press openly speculating about the possibility of a military takeover, Nawaz became increasingly insecure. In October 1999 General Pervez Musharraf, Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistani army launched a coup to topple Nawaz Sharif, then On October 12, 1999, he removed Musharraf as army chief. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Musharraf, who was out of the country, boarded a commercial airliner to return to Pakistan. Sharif ordered the Karachi airport sealed off to prevent the landing of the airliner, and ordered it to land at Nawab Shah Airport, but Musharraf contacted top army generals who took over the country and ousted Sharif's administration. Musharraf assumed control of the government. The Supreme Court validated the coup on the grounds of necessity. Thus ended Nawaz Sharif's second term, after dismissing a President, a Chief Justice, an Army chief and a Naval Chief.

Nawaz was thrown in prison and tried by Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Courts, which handed down a life sentence for hijacking in 2000. The military government agreed to commute his sentence from life in prison to exile in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi His family moved with him. His wife and senior members of his party formed an anti-military coalition along with the Pakistan Peoples Party, previously the major opposition to Sharif's Muslim League. The Pakistan Peoples Party ( PPP) (پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی is Centre-left Political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist Nawaz and the PPP have only offered token resistance to President Musharraf's government. Efforts are mainly restricted to criticism through the media.

Charges

Nawaz Sharif's government was deposed from office by General Pervez Musharraf, who later declared himself the Chief Executive of Pakistan, effective Prime Minister—as he did not immediately dismiss the nation's then President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar. Sharif was convicted of hijacking and terrorism after he blocked Pervez Musharraf from landing his plane in Karachi in lieu of dismissing him from his COAS post. General (ret Pervez Musharraf ( (born 11 August 1943 NI(M, HI(M, TBt, is the former Military dictator and President of The Supreme Court of Pakistan under oath of PCO declared Musharraf’s dismissal unconstitutional, as the COAS as a constitutional appointee is afforded due process before dismissal.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan under the oath of PCO, upholding the position of the Army, disqualified Nawaz Sharif from holding any public office for 21 years, forbade his involvement in Pakistani politics (something which he has since chosen to ignore), and fined him 20 million rupees. A plea bargain and intervention of the Saudi royal family spared Sharif from serving a prison term; instead he was exiled to the Saudi Kingdom.

Corruption charges

While serving the life term in jail for plane-hijacking case, Sharif was also charged and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for corruption and tax evasion charges. The ‎Accountability Court of Pakistan has also disqualified him from holding any public office for 21 ‎years, and fined him 20 million rupees, about US$37,000. ^[11]. Besides these charges he is also known to be involved in number of ‎other corruptions.

2007 return to Pakistan

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. Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif also known as Shahbaz Sharif ( Urdu: میاں محمد شہاز شریف) is a well known Pakistani politician and In law a hearing is a Proceeding before a Court or other decision-making body or officer ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. 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. General (ret Pervez Musharraf ( (born 11 August 1943 NI(M, HI(M, TBt, is the former Military dictator and President of ^[12]

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. |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type Pakistan International Airlines Corporation, more commonly known as Pakistan International Airlines or PIA ( Urdu: پی آئی اے or پاکستان London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. 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. The National Accountability Bureau is a Pakistani Government agency, dealing with corruption After that, there had been news that Nawaz Sharif had been boarded onto 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 carried deported Sharif from Islamabad airport. Agence France-Presse ( AFP) is the oldest News agency in the world and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. ^[13]

On September 10, Nawaz Sharif landed at Jeddah airport and was greeted by Saudi intelligence chief Prince Miqren bin Abdul Aziz. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Jeddah (also spelled Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda; جدّة Ǧiddah) is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Pakistan's Religious Affairs Minister Ijaz-ul Haq stated that "He has not only embarrassed Pakistan but also the leadership of Saudi Arabia by violating the agreement. " The European Union asked the Pakistani government to respect the court ruling, for Sharif should have the chance to defend himself in a Pakistani court. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in 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). Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Sean McCormack is an American Assistant Secretary of State. He was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Department Spokesman on June 2 See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence Deportation, not to be confused with Extradition, generally means the expulsion of someone from a place or Country. But the United States organisation Human Rights Watch accused the Pakistan Government of violating international law. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Human Rights Watch is a United States -based international Non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on Human rights. International law is the term commonly used for referring to the system of implicit and explicit agreements that bind together nation-states in adherence to recognized values and standards Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League condemned the deportation by filing a contempt suit in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Supreme Court ( Urdu: عدالت عظمیٰ) is the apex court in Pakistan 's judicial hierarchy the final arbiter of legal and constitutional His brother Shahbaz Sharif was due to travel with Sharif from London but changed his plans at the last minute. ^[14][15]

On November 25, 2007, several weeks after the return of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Sharif was able to return to Pakistan. He was not arrested and, like Bhutto, was able to return to political activity.

Preparations for 2008 elections

Upon reaching Lahore, Sharif was supposedly greeted by a huge crowd of supporters. On November 26, 2007, Nawaz Sharif filed for the January Parliamentary elections. He handed in his papers in Lahore filing for two parliamentary seats.

On December 3, it was announced that Sharif would meet former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to discuss a possible boycott of the January 8 elections. Benazir Bhutto ( Sindhi: بينظير ڀٽو Urdu: بینظیر بھٹو beːnəziːɾ bɦʊʈːoː (21 June 1953 &ndash 27 December 2007 was a Mr Sharif had stated that his party, Pakistan Muslim League (N), would not take part in the elections unless the judges sacked under emergency rule were reinstated. The Pakistan Muslim League (N ( Urdu: پاکستان مسلم لیگ ن) is a Political party in Pakistan.

The Election Commission of Pakistan then banned Sharif from taking part in the January 8 elections. A rival candidate complained to the commission citing Sharif's criminal charges. The commission upheld the complaint. Sharif had until Friday to appeal against the ban. An election commissioner Raja Qamaruzaman told Lahore newspapers that His (Nawaz's) nomination papers are rejected because of his convictions. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. In the case of his opposition rival Benazir Bhutto, President Pervez Musharraf signed into law the amnesty early in 2007 that cleared Ms Bhutto of all corruption charges. General (ret Pervez Musharraf ( (born 11 August 1943 NI(M, HI(M, TBt, is the former Military dictator and President of However this amnesty did not clear Mr Sharif, having been sentenced to ten years for aeroplane hijacking and terrorism when he attempted to prevent the PIA flight carrying Musharraf and Soomro and a plane full of ordinary passengers in 1999 from landing at Karachi. Soomro ( Sindhi: سومرو) is the name of a Sindhi tribe in Sindh, Pakistan.

On December 6, Mr Sharif attempted to meet former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry but was stopped by police. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry ( افتخار محمد چودھری) (born 12 December 1948)in a village of Faisalabad and belonging to the Ghorewaha Mr Chaudhry was forced to leave office after refusing to swear allegiance to President Musharraf and also the authorities are preventing him from leaving his household. Sharif told the crowd that he had come to show support for the judges and will not rest until they were restored. Coming off the heels of meeting with former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto both opposition parties were in the process of negotiating what they called a charter of demands which they wanted fulfilled if they were to take part in the January 8 elections. Mr Sharif wanted the re-instatement of the judges before the election takes place to be on the opposition's joint demands. However Benazir Bhutto claimed that this is an issue that parliament could address once the elections have been fought.

On December 7, it was confirmed by Nawaz Sharif that he would not appeal against the ban that was placed on him on December 3, and would not participate as a candidate in the January 8 elections. If Sharif appealed against the ban the matter would have been taken to the Pakistan High Court. Sharif said that he does not recognize this as legitimate because the judges were forced under the rule of President Musharraf. Sharif wrote to the Election Commission saying that he was being prevented from standing for political reasons.

Nawaz Sharif announced on December 10 that he would indeed participate in the January 8 elections. The PML(N) made this decision after he failed to make a decision with opposition rival Benazir Bhutto and her Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP); the two sides complained that elections would not be free and fair under emergency rule placed by President Musharraf on November 3, 2007. The Pakistan Peoples Party ( PPP) (پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی is Centre-left Political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist Mr Musharraf announced that emergency would end on December 15, a day earlier than planned. Mr Sharif's party would participate in the elections after 33 opposition parties including Ms Bhutto's PPP failed to reach a joint agreement. 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. ^[16][17]

On February 16, 2008 the initial last day of campaigning for Pakistan's political parties, Nawaz Sharif's PML(N) campaigned closely with assassinated former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's PPP and her widower Asif Ali Zardari. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Asif Ali Zardari ( Urdu, Sindhi: آصف علی زرداری) (born 26 July 1955 is the 12th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman

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:

Amidst the shock of the death of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto Sharif had announced that he would boycott the January 8, Pakistani general elections. Sharif called for President Pervez Musharraf to resign due to the lack of security leading up to Benazir Bhutto's death. Sharif rushed to the hospital where Bhutto was taken to and comforted her supporters and sat next to her body. Sharif called Bhutto his sister and vowed to avenge her death. ^[18]

A few hours before the murder of Benazir Bhutto, four of Sharif's party workers had been shot dead at Karal Chowk in an attack on a procession to meet him. Gunmen were unidentified. Nawaz Sharif accused Musharraf supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML(Q)) of the killings. The Pakistan Muslim League (Q or officially Pakistan Muslim League (پاکستان مسلم لیگ ق is a centrist conservative Political party in Pakistan

2008 elections and dominance in Punjab Assembly

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 publicily 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 65 seats out of 272 from the National Assembly finishing second, directly behind the PPP (Bhutto/Zardari's party) at 88. However, 18 independents have also filed to now join Sharif's party moving his seat number up from 65 to 83. 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. Asif Ali Zardari ( Urdu, Sindhi: آصف علی زرداری) (born 26 July 1955 is the 12th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common A general election was held in Pakistan on February 18, 2008, after being postponed from 8 January 2008, the original date to elect ^[19]

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 aganist them. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common the PML (N) left it to the PPP to chose a Prime Minister, since they agreed on forming a coliation 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^[20]. The National Assembly is the Lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan. Ashtar Ausaf Ali, former Advocate General of Punjab, is the lawyer representing Nawaz Sharif. Ashtar Ausaf Ali ( Urdu: اشتر اوصاف علی) is former Advocate General of Punjab, Pakistan. The Punjab ( Urdu:) province of

May 12 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. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. " 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 beggining 9th - 11th 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 dissovled, with no agreement that both party officals could agree upon. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Asif Ali Zardari ( Urdu, Sindhi: آصف علی زرداری) (born 26 July 1955 is the 12th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Returning to Islamabad Nawaz spoke to media mogul Geo Television Network and announced that he is withdrawing his party members from the federal government and effectively resigning from the coalition government. |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type Geo TV or GEO Television is a Pakistani Television network founded by Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002

Appointments of Federal Ministers

In 2008, Nawaz Sharif appointed many of his friends and relatives as ministers in the federal cabinet which was protested by his political opponenets and media as nepotism. Nepotism is the showing of favoritism toward relatives and friends based upon that relationship rather than on an objective evaluation of ability Meritocracy or suitability This has also perplexed and confused their political partners including PPP. The Pakistan Peoples Party ( PPP) (پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی is Centre-left Political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist ^[21]

PML (N) left the Government

On May 12th, PML (N) announced it is leaving the Governmnent after failure of the Government to reinstate the Judges. Its ministers resigned. Although, PPP is still hopeful that PML (n) will be back to Governemnt once the Judges Issue is resolved. PML (N) have also announced its support for lawyers.

See also

• Muhammad Sharif
• Shahbaz Sharif
• Ittefaq Group

References

External links

• Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Group) Pakistan
• Watch latest Videos and Interviews of Nawaz Sharif
• PMLN site
• Nawaz Sharif becomes Prime Minister
• BBC Profile of Nawaz Sharif
• Nawaz Sharif's Life Story (Urdu)
• Nawaz Sharif took about US$500,000 from Osama bin Ladin for elections
• BBC, Timeline: Pakistan's political rivals