Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was elected on Sunday as the Prime Minister of Pakistan by securing 201 votes in the National Assembly defeating Omar Ayub Khan of Sunni Ittehad Council who received 92 votes. Born on September 23, 1951, he is now the twice-elected Prime Minister of Pakistan and thrice-elected Chief Minister of Punjab. He is the younger brother of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Quaid Nawaz Sharif, the thrice-elected premier of the country.
Shehbaz Sharif’s first stint of the premiership spanned from April 11, 2022 to August 14, 2023. He was elected by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) by ousting Imran Khan through a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly. Coming from a renowned business family, Shehbaz Sharif graduated from Government College, Lahore and served as President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1985 before entering the politics.
He held positions as a Member of the Punjab Assembly from 1988 to 1990 and a Member of the National Assembly from 1990 to 1993. He later served as Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly from 1993 to 1996. In 1997, he was elected Chief Minister of Punjab and and served till 1999 when as a result of coup, his government, along with the federal government, was toppled.
Shehbaz Sharif played a leading role in the restoration of democracy in the country and was elected unopposed as Member of Punjab Assembly for the fourth time in 2008, and served as Punjab chief minister for the second time from June 2008 to March 2013. After getting elected on three provincial assembly seats and on one National Assembly seat in 2013 general elections, Shehbaz was elected as Punjab Chief Minister for the third time.
Shehbaz Sharif’s dynamic leadership and efficient administration earned him the title of “Shehbaz Speed” from China. Under his leadership, Pakistan swiftly tackled its energy crisis, completing the Sahiwal Coal Power Plant in a record 22 months and implementing three RLNG-power projects in Punjab.—APP
