Nawaz Sharif (born 1949) led his party to victory and became the prime minister of Pakistan in 1990.Supporters claim his political success lay in his business background. While most of Pakistan's political players were of the landed elite, Sharif's family built its fortune on a steel smelting factory. He took full advantage of his industrialist credentials, using a liberal reformist stance to attract votes from the business class.
Niam Nawaz Sharif was born in Lahore, Pakistan on December 25, 1949, one year after the new nation's founding. He came from a family of industrialists who made their fortune in the politically significant province of Punjab. His father and six uncles controlled and operated an iron foundry in Amritsar. Sharif graduated from the Government College of Lahore, a recruiting source for the civil service. He received his bachelor of law degree from the Punjab University Law College, also in Lahore. Sharif helped establish the Ittefaq Islamic Academy in Lahore, where students receive religious instruction in addition to their secular training. A practicing Moslem, Sharif comes from a religious family and has said he would make the teaching of the Koran, the Moslem holy book, a compulsory subject up to the secondary level.
Sharif and his male cousins expanded his father's iron foundry only to lose it to a 1972 nationalization policy launched by the former prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. It was re-established in 1977 as Ittefaq Industries in Lahore. The business was returned after Sharif developed political links with then-president, Mohammad Zia ul-Haq. It was General Zia who brought down Bhutto in 1975, executing him two years later on charges of conspiracy. By 1990, Ittefaq Industries was one of Pakistan's most affluent conglomerates, with more than $450 million in annual revenues, up from about $16 million in 1981. It included the country's largest private steel mill, a sugar mill, and four textile factories. With upwards of ten thousand employees, Ittefaq has played a significant role in the development and growth of industry in Pakistan. It has likely influenced Sharif's political career and pro-business stance as
Began Political Career
Sharif began his political career in the early 1980s, while serving as director of the Ittefaq Group of Industries. In 1981, Sharif was appointed finance minister of Punjab Province by the Zia government. He used his newfound political authority to promote his pro-business stance and presented four successive development-oriented budgets targeting the improvement of socio-economic conditions in rural areas. Sharif raised the appropriation of funds for the development of these rural areas to nearly 70 percent of the province's annual development program. Four years later, Sharif became the Punjab's chief minister in a general election. He now had a great deal of influence over the province's industrial and agricultural power.
Became Prime Minister
Sharif's perseverance and political clout placed him in the vanguard of Bhutto adversaries. He proceeded to crush Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in the October 1988 election. Sharif was elected a Member of Parliament in the October 24, 1990 general elections, after leading a ten-party Islamic Democratic Alliance (IDA), an affiliation of liberal groups and rightist Islamic militants. On November 3, he was nominated by the IJI as its candidate for the premiership and was soon after sworn in as Pakistan's new prime minister. For three months prior to his victory Pakistan's top generals, bureaucrats and business leaders had been systematically stripping Bhutto's PPP of nearly all political power.
Ousted from Parliament
Sharif became the target of many of the traditional landed interests, including Bhutto, because his policies deeply affected Pakistan's political and economic power structure. But his ouster came with an attempt to weaken the power of President Ghulam Ishaq Khan. Sharif had long been considered compliant, willing to quietly take orders from the president, but the two had clashed over reports of corruption in Sharif's government. The president dismissed Sharif in April 1993, after months of political turmoil.
Re-elected in Landslide Victory
On February 17, 1997, Sharif led the PML to a landslide victory (177-16), crushing Bhutto in the process. Sharif's Muslim League won a decisive parliamentary victory, winning 134 seats in the 217-seat parliament. Bhutto's PPP was second, winning 18 seats. The PML commanded around 165 seats when combined with its small-party allies, giving it a solid working majority. He stepped into office with the responsibility of reviving a crisis-laden economy. Domestically, Sharif was faced with boosting an economy plagued by budget deficits, 30 billion dollars of foreign debts, high inflation, and a nation with very high expectations for relief and a clean administration. On foreign affairs, he faced tensions with India and festering dissension in Afghanistan.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Sharif, Bhutto and the (Ex-) General
The triumphal return of Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister that Gen. Pervez Musharraf overthrew in 1999, has made the contest for Pakistan’s future more uncertain than it already was and injected another plaMr. Sharif presents himself as an uncompromising champion of democracy and constitutional rule, but his years in office tell a different and more troubling story — one of corruption, high-handedness and attempts to bully independent journalists and jurists.
What makes Mr. Sharif so formidable today is not his record, but the strong backing of Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have long been powerful political and economic players in Pakistan, and they have championed politicians and parties inclined to favor Saudi-style Sunni fundamentalism. It was apparently at Saudi insistence that Mr. Musharraf let Mr. Sharif return home, after having sent him back on his previous attempt in September.
Mr. Sharif’s chief civilian rival is Benazir Bhutto, another former prime minister. Though her own years in office were also seriously marred by corruption, Ms. Bhutto is a somewhat more plausible champion of secularism, democracy and a real fight against Al Qaeda and Taliban bases on Pakistani soil. The Saudis do not relish her returning to power.
Ms. Bhutto’s cause has been damaged by inept and clumsy American support. By clinging too long to Mr. Musharraf, and by pressing Ms. Bhutto to negotiate with him, the Bush administration has weakened its influence in Pakistan.
For now, Mr. Musharraf remains in charge. After rigging his re-election as president, he finally made good on his often-voiced promise to retire from the military. Yesterday, he turned over his command to his successor — one day before he was sworn in for a new five-year term. His powers, in theory, should be reduced, but he has made it clear that he won’t give up easily. He has set parliamentary elections for January. If the emergency rule imposed by him remains in place, it would make a free and fair contest impossible.
Despite these obstacles, both Mr. Sharif and Ms. Bhutto have filed to run, while demanding an end to emergency rule and threatening to boycott the polls if it is not lifted. That is a sound strategy. There is nothing to be gained by promising Mr. Musharraf and his allies a free ride.
Their next step should be joining forces to maximize opposition strength and help assure the dictatorship’s defeat. It is not too late for Ms. Bhutto to repair her democratic credentials and for Mr. Sharif to establish his.
yer into the game: Saudi Arabia.More Articles in Opinion »
What makes Mr. Sharif so formidable today is not his record, but the strong backing of Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have long been powerful political and economic players in Pakistan, and they have championed politicians and parties inclined to favor Saudi-style Sunni fundamentalism. It was apparently at Saudi insistence that Mr. Musharraf let Mr. Sharif return home, after having sent him back on his previous attempt in September.
Mr. Sharif’s chief civilian rival is Benazir Bhutto, another former prime minister. Though her own years in office were also seriously marred by corruption, Ms. Bhutto is a somewhat more plausible champion of secularism, democracy and a real fight against Al Qaeda and Taliban bases on Pakistani soil. The Saudis do not relish her returning to power.
Ms. Bhutto’s cause has been damaged by inept and clumsy American support. By clinging too long to Mr. Musharraf, and by pressing Ms. Bhutto to negotiate with him, the Bush administration has weakened its influence in Pakistan.
For now, Mr. Musharraf remains in charge. After rigging his re-election as president, he finally made good on his often-voiced promise to retire from the military. Yesterday, he turned over his command to his successor — one day before he was sworn in for a new five-year term. His powers, in theory, should be reduced, but he has made it clear that he won’t give up easily. He has set parliamentary elections for January. If the emergency rule imposed by him remains in place, it would make a free and fair contest impossible.
Despite these obstacles, both Mr. Sharif and Ms. Bhutto have filed to run, while demanding an end to emergency rule and threatening to boycott the polls if it is not lifted. That is a sound strategy. There is nothing to be gained by promising Mr. Musharraf and his allies a free ride.
Their next step should be joining forces to maximize opposition strength and help assure the dictatorship’s defeat. It is not too late for Ms. Bhutto to repair her democratic credentials and for Mr. Sharif to establish his.
yer into the game: Saudi Arabia.More Articles in Opinion »
Nawaz Sharif the Leader
Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League, was the country's prime minister for nine years before Gen. Pervez Musharraf ousted him in a bloodless coup in 1999.
General Musharraf denounced Mr. Sharif as corrupt and said that Mr. Sharif had attempted to block a plane carrying him and 198 civilian passengers from landing. In 2000, the former prime minister went on trial, charged with hijacking and attempted murder. During the trial, Mr. Sharif testified that the military removed him because of unhappiness over his handling of tensions with India over Kashmir. Mr. Sharif was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, but was exiled to Saudi Arabia in 2000.
Since then, he has remained politically active: He sought unsuccessfully to get permission to return to the country in 2002 to participate in parliamentary elections. In 2007, his party worked to capitalize on the growing dissatisfaction with General Musharraf and anger over his attempt to oust the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry; Mr. Sharif announced that he planned to run for president against the general. Mr. Chaudhry was ousted in March 2007 on charges of misconduct.
In August, after Justice Chaudhry regained his post, the court ruled that Mr. Sharif and his brother could return to the country, a significant blow to General Musharraf's political fortunes. But when Mr. Sharif arrived in Islamabad on Sept. 10, 2007, he was promptly deported.
The landscape shifted again, however, when Mr. Musharraf declared emergency rule in November 2007, dismissed Justice Chaudhry and placed him under house arrest. Saudi leaders complained to the Pakistani president that since one opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, had been allowed to return, Mr. Sharif, who is less secular, should be let back in, too. Mr. Sharif returned on Nov. 25, to the cheers of massive crowds.
Since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December of 2007, Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League joined the coalition government led by the Pakistan’s People’s Party of Bhutto’s widower, Asif Ali Zardari. The fragile coalition came to an end as the Muslim League left in the wake of an unresolved dispute over the reinstatement of dismissed judges.
Mr. Sharif argued that Mr. Chaudhry had proved his independence. Many observers believed that Mr. Sharif hoped the deposed chief justice, who had ruled in his favor before, would do so again if reinstated. They saw Mr. Zardari's opposition to Mr. Chaudhry as a prelude to isolating his rival.
On Feb. 25, 2009, Pakistan's Supreme Court barred Mr. Sharif from elected office in a decision that is likely to plunge Pakistan into deeper political turmoil as it grapples with an escalating insurgency.
The court made its ruling on the grounds that Mr. Sharif had been convicted of a crime. But Mr. Sharif’s lawyer immediately denounced the decision, asserting it was a political decision ordered by President Asif Ali Zardari.
The court also disqualified Mr. Sharif’s brother, Shahbaz Sharif, from continuing in office as the chief minister of the Punjab, the most important province in Pakistan, and the only one not controlled by Mr. Zardari.
Animosity between the former prime minister and Mr. Zardari stems from the collapse of their coalition in 2008 but it has worsened in recent weeks as the Supreme Court decisions on the brothers neared.
Mr. Sharif pledged to join protesting lawyers in a long march from Lahore to Islamabad in March, and to take part in a planned sit-in in the capital, as part of a campaign to restore Justice Chaudhry.
In a stunning concession to Mr. Sharif, the government agreed on March 16 to reinstate Justice Chaudhry. Mr. Sharif said he would call off his protest and the sit-in.
Related: Pakistan | Pervez Musharraf | Benazir Bhutto
General Musharraf denounced Mr. Sharif as corrupt and said that Mr. Sharif had attempted to block a plane carrying him and 198 civilian passengers from landing. In 2000, the former prime minister went on trial, charged with hijacking and attempted murder. During the trial, Mr. Sharif testified that the military removed him because of unhappiness over his handling of tensions with India over Kashmir. Mr. Sharif was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, but was exiled to Saudi Arabia in 2000.
Since then, he has remained politically active: He sought unsuccessfully to get permission to return to the country in 2002 to participate in parliamentary elections. In 2007, his party worked to capitalize on the growing dissatisfaction with General Musharraf and anger over his attempt to oust the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry; Mr. Sharif announced that he planned to run for president against the general. Mr. Chaudhry was ousted in March 2007 on charges of misconduct.
In August, after Justice Chaudhry regained his post, the court ruled that Mr. Sharif and his brother could return to the country, a significant blow to General Musharraf's political fortunes. But when Mr. Sharif arrived in Islamabad on Sept. 10, 2007, he was promptly deported.
The landscape shifted again, however, when Mr. Musharraf declared emergency rule in November 2007, dismissed Justice Chaudhry and placed him under house arrest. Saudi leaders complained to the Pakistani president that since one opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, had been allowed to return, Mr. Sharif, who is less secular, should be let back in, too. Mr. Sharif returned on Nov. 25, to the cheers of massive crowds.
Since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December of 2007, Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League joined the coalition government led by the Pakistan’s People’s Party of Bhutto’s widower, Asif Ali Zardari. The fragile coalition came to an end as the Muslim League left in the wake of an unresolved dispute over the reinstatement of dismissed judges.
Mr. Sharif argued that Mr. Chaudhry had proved his independence. Many observers believed that Mr. Sharif hoped the deposed chief justice, who had ruled in his favor before, would do so again if reinstated. They saw Mr. Zardari's opposition to Mr. Chaudhry as a prelude to isolating his rival.
On Feb. 25, 2009, Pakistan's Supreme Court barred Mr. Sharif from elected office in a decision that is likely to plunge Pakistan into deeper political turmoil as it grapples with an escalating insurgency.
The court made its ruling on the grounds that Mr. Sharif had been convicted of a crime. But Mr. Sharif’s lawyer immediately denounced the decision, asserting it was a political decision ordered by President Asif Ali Zardari.
The court also disqualified Mr. Sharif’s brother, Shahbaz Sharif, from continuing in office as the chief minister of the Punjab, the most important province in Pakistan, and the only one not controlled by Mr. Zardari.
Animosity between the former prime minister and Mr. Zardari stems from the collapse of their coalition in 2008 but it has worsened in recent weeks as the Supreme Court decisions on the brothers neared.
Mr. Sharif pledged to join protesting lawyers in a long march from Lahore to Islamabad in March, and to take part in a planned sit-in in the capital, as part of a campaign to restore Justice Chaudhry.
In a stunning concession to Mr. Sharif, the government agreed on March 16 to reinstate Justice Chaudhry. Mr. Sharif said he would call off his protest and the sit-in.
Related: Pakistan | Pervez Musharraf | Benazir Bhutto
Jihad against gray hair
Moving from the dining table to the dressing table, Nawaz Sharif has had hair-transplantation, and after several years of baldness he has once again started using the comb. In fact, he uses it much more frequently than other people do. Maybe the bristled hair have to do something with it, or perhaps it is just a psychological thing with such cases.
While he may have overcome his baldness, the transplantation has meant that Nawaz Sharif has lost his identity. Interestingly, brother Shahbaz Sharif has also undergone the same process.
In Pakistan, the two brothers were once affectionately called CT, BT (Choti tind, Barhi tind). They were so addressed when Pakistan was under pressure to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which also carried the acronym CTBT. Since one brother was then the Prime Minister and the other was the Punjab Chief Minister, people called them CT, BT. But as the two SNawaz Sharif had a hair transplant? As the news channels are showing him every hour after the unfortunate killing of Ms Bhutto, I noticed how drastically un-bald he is compared to just a year ago!
Here’s him a couple of years ago - ForumPakistan
Here’s this month’s photo - ABC Australia
Digging around a bit, I found media has already gotten the clue. Pakistan’s top newspaper Dawn reports
“They share one inexplicable self-indulgence; both have had hair transplants that make them look younger in the eyes of every beholder except their electorate.”
I know ex Prime Minister of Italy Berlusconi had had a transplant. Does that make Mr Sharif the second state leader? Seeing Berlusconi lose the election so badly and Mr Sharif’s general
lack of mass support, HT may not yet be that “effective” for our leaders
Thanks
harifs have now had their hair transplanted, a friend of theirs commented in a lighter vein that the issue of the ‘CTBT’ had finally been settled for good.
I wonder if Abbaji would have approved….
While he may have overcome his baldness, the transplantation has meant that Nawaz Sharif has lost his identity. Interestingly, brother Shahbaz Sharif has also undergone the same process.
In Pakistan, the two brothers were once affectionately called CT, BT (Choti tind, Barhi tind). They were so addressed when Pakistan was under pressure to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which also carried the acronym CTBT. Since one brother was then the Prime Minister and the other was the Punjab Chief Minister, people called them CT, BT. But as the two SNawaz Sharif had a hair transplant? As the news channels are showing him every hour after the unfortunate killing of Ms Bhutto, I noticed how drastically un-bald he is compared to just a year ago!
Here’s him a couple of years ago - ForumPakistan
Here’s this month’s photo - ABC Australia
Digging around a bit, I found media has already gotten the clue. Pakistan’s top newspaper Dawn reports
“They share one inexplicable self-indulgence; both have had hair transplants that make them look younger in the eyes of every beholder except their electorate.”
I know ex Prime Minister of Italy Berlusconi had had a transplant. Does that make Mr Sharif the second state leader? Seeing Berlusconi lose the election so badly and Mr Sharif’s general
lack of mass support, HT may not yet be that “effective” for our leaders
Thanks
harifs have now had their hair transplanted, a friend of theirs commented in a lighter vein that the issue of the ‘CTBT’ had finally been settled for good.
I wonder if Abbaji would have approved….
Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Introduction
The Pakistan Muslim League (N) is a political party in Pakistan. It is led by Nawaz Sharif.
History and Background
It was Pakistan Muslim League, founded in 1962, as a successor to the previously disbanded Muslim League, and gained the (Nawaz) or (N) in 1993 for its leader, Nawaz Sharif. A Pakistan Muslim League (J) was formed in 1986.
Current Status
A Pakistan Muslim League (Q) split from it in 2001, and there are various other parties with similar names. Despite Musharraf's best efforts to put aside the party leaders in exile and others in jail,legislative elections on 20 October 2002, the party won 9.4% of the popular vote and 14 out of 272 elected members.
Party Contact
Party Address : House No 20-H streets 10, sector F-8/3 Islamabad.
Tel No : 051-2852662, 051-2852663 , 051-2852665
Email : drluqman@pml1.org , pmlisb@hotmail.com
Website : http://www.pmln.org.pk/
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Group (PML N) in News
1 - Nawaz, Shahbaz disqualified, Punjab under governor rule
• ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's politics took a dramatic, but not so unexpected, turn on Wednesday when a Supreme Court verdict to declare Nawaz and Shahbaz Sha...Read More
2 - Nazims put Shahbaz on notice
• LAHORE: Around 25 district Nazims have sought public apology from the Punjab government within 15 days for levelling false corruption charges against ...Read More
3 - PML-N hands over 18th Amendment draft bill to PPP
• ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday handed over a copy of the proposed 18th amendment bill to the Pakistan People’s Party ...Read More
4 - PPP-PML-N tensions rise
• ISLAMABAD: Relations between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) took a new turn on Tuesday when President ...Read More
5 - Ex-parte proceedings if Sharifs do not appear: SC
• ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Thursday warned that ex-parte proceedings would be initiated if Sharif brothers failed to appear before the court to defe...Read More
6 - Nawaz urges Zardari to repeal 17th Amendment
• ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said that during his recent dinner meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari,...Read More
More News
The Pakistan Muslim League (N) is a political party in Pakistan. It is led by Nawaz Sharif.
History and Background
It was Pakistan Muslim League, founded in 1962, as a successor to the previously disbanded Muslim League, and gained the (Nawaz) or (N) in 1993 for its leader, Nawaz Sharif. A Pakistan Muslim League (J) was formed in 1986.
Current Status
A Pakistan Muslim League (Q) split from it in 2001, and there are various other parties with similar names. Despite Musharraf's best efforts to put aside the party leaders in exile and others in jail,legislative elections on 20 October 2002, the party won 9.4% of the popular vote and 14 out of 272 elected members.
Party Contact
Party Address : House No 20-H streets 10, sector F-8/3 Islamabad.
Tel No : 051-2852662, 051-2852663 , 051-2852665
Email : drluqman@pml1.org , pmlisb@hotmail.com
Website : http://www.pmln.org.pk/
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Group (PML N) in News
1 - Nawaz, Shahbaz disqualified, Punjab under governor rule
• ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's politics took a dramatic, but not so unexpected, turn on Wednesday when a Supreme Court verdict to declare Nawaz and Shahbaz Sha...Read More
2 - Nazims put Shahbaz on notice
• LAHORE: Around 25 district Nazims have sought public apology from the Punjab government within 15 days for levelling false corruption charges against ...Read More
3 - PML-N hands over 18th Amendment draft bill to PPP
• ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday handed over a copy of the proposed 18th amendment bill to the Pakistan People’s Party ...Read More
4 - PPP-PML-N tensions rise
• ISLAMABAD: Relations between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) took a new turn on Tuesday when President ...Read More
5 - Ex-parte proceedings if Sharifs do not appear: SC
• ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Thursday warned that ex-parte proceedings would be initiated if Sharif brothers failed to appear before the court to defe...Read More
6 - Nawaz urges Zardari to repeal 17th Amendment
• ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said that during his recent dinner meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari,...Read More
More News
Nawaz Sharif: Politics
Nawaz Sharif practicing politics of principles: Ahsan Iqbal
Updated at: 1254 PST, Monday, December 08, 2008
ISLAMABAD: Secretary Information Pakistan Muslim League (PML)-N Ahsan Iqbal said Nawaz Sharif is practicing politics of principles instead of anarchy.
In a statement issued here, Ahsan Iqbal said statements issued by Altaf Hussain should be condemned. He said chief of PML-N wants supremacy of law and constitution in the country and now it is an open secret who is behind Mumbai attacks.
Product Details:
Author: Mushtaq Ahmed | ISBN: 969-407-225-9 | Format: Hardcover | Pages: 249 | Weight: 1.17 lbs | Pub. Date: 2001 | Publisher: Royal Book Company
DESCRIPTION
Nawaz Sharif was and remains one of the principal actors on the political stage of contemporary Pakistan. He is a contender for power in the future, having been its occupant in the past. In this volume, Mushtaq Ahmed has tried to faithfully and objectively set out the impact of the policies Nawaz Sharif pursued on the country and its masses.
Golden Words of Nawaz Sharif's political father,guru and mentor General Zia-ul-haq
submitted 20 days 14 hours ago by: Aeyaz.hassan : 51 comments
These are the “GOLDEN” words of NAWAZ SHARIF’S political father, guru, and mentor General Zia-ul-Haq “constitution is nothing more than a piece of paper which he can tear any time he wishes."
For eleven years he ruled by keeping 1973 constitution suspended through Martial Law Regulations, Martial Law Orders and the Provisional Constitutional Order of 1981.
Every politician, like any other celebrity, has his or her tryst with destiny. That might be it for Nawaz Sharif at this juncture in his career. Never did he ever before came face to face with karma to decide how he would like to be remembered in the history of Pakistan.
Nawaz’ disqualificationto run for the national Assembly of Pakistan in a by-election by none other than the Lahore High Court, on June 23, faces him with perhaps the most difficult and momentous decision of his political life. How should he react to it? How should he take it? What should be his response to the gauntlet thrown at him by his adversaries?
One obvious villain that might have provided the trigger for this ‘political’ verdict by Punjab’s top court is none other than Pervez Musharraf. As such, the Nawaz Brigade, led by junior Sharif, Shehbaz, didn’t lose a minute before pointing their guns at Nawaz’ principal nemesis, ensconced in the Presidency, for being the culprit in this episode. Conventional wisdom is on their side: Pervez Musharraf would hate to see Nawz entering the parliament and gaining another niche to take pot shots at him. Musharraf must gravely fear the chances of his impeachment taking a hefty boost with Nawaz in parliament.
That the ‘honourable’ justices who handed down this crassly partisan verdict against a man who has twice been PM of Pakistan owe their jobs to Pervez Musharraf, is as good an evidence as any of their being party to a political conspiracy hatched in the Presidency to keep Nawaz out of the parliament. These PCO judges must take fright at the prospect of Nawaz getting into the parliament to hasten their unceremonious departure from the positions gifted to them by an autocrat’s hunger for unbridled power.
Updated at: 1254 PST, Monday, December 08, 2008
ISLAMABAD: Secretary Information Pakistan Muslim League (PML)-N Ahsan Iqbal said Nawaz Sharif is practicing politics of principles instead of anarchy.
In a statement issued here, Ahsan Iqbal said statements issued by Altaf Hussain should be condemned. He said chief of PML-N wants supremacy of law and constitution in the country and now it is an open secret who is behind Mumbai attacks.
Product Details:
Author: Mushtaq Ahmed | ISBN: 969-407-225-9 | Format: Hardcover | Pages: 249 | Weight: 1.17 lbs | Pub. Date: 2001 | Publisher: Royal Book Company
DESCRIPTION
Nawaz Sharif was and remains one of the principal actors on the political stage of contemporary Pakistan. He is a contender for power in the future, having been its occupant in the past. In this volume, Mushtaq Ahmed has tried to faithfully and objectively set out the impact of the policies Nawaz Sharif pursued on the country and its masses.
Golden Words of Nawaz Sharif's political father,guru and mentor General Zia-ul-haq
submitted 20 days 14 hours ago by: Aeyaz.hassan : 51 comments
These are the “GOLDEN” words of NAWAZ SHARIF’S political father, guru, and mentor General Zia-ul-Haq “constitution is nothing more than a piece of paper which he can tear any time he wishes."
For eleven years he ruled by keeping 1973 constitution suspended through Martial Law Regulations, Martial Law Orders and the Provisional Constitutional Order of 1981.
Every politician, like any other celebrity, has his or her tryst with destiny. That might be it for Nawaz Sharif at this juncture in his career. Never did he ever before came face to face with karma to decide how he would like to be remembered in the history of Pakistan.
Nawaz’ disqualificationto run for the national Assembly of Pakistan in a by-election by none other than the Lahore High Court, on June 23, faces him with perhaps the most difficult and momentous decision of his political life. How should he react to it? How should he take it? What should be his response to the gauntlet thrown at him by his adversaries?
One obvious villain that might have provided the trigger for this ‘political’ verdict by Punjab’s top court is none other than Pervez Musharraf. As such, the Nawaz Brigade, led by junior Sharif, Shehbaz, didn’t lose a minute before pointing their guns at Nawaz’ principal nemesis, ensconced in the Presidency, for being the culprit in this episode. Conventional wisdom is on their side: Pervez Musharraf would hate to see Nawz entering the parliament and gaining another niche to take pot shots at him. Musharraf must gravely fear the chances of his impeachment taking a hefty boost with Nawaz in parliament.
That the ‘honourable’ justices who handed down this crassly partisan verdict against a man who has twice been PM of Pakistan owe their jobs to Pervez Musharraf, is as good an evidence as any of their being party to a political conspiracy hatched in the Presidency to keep Nawaz out of the parliament. These PCO judges must take fright at the prospect of Nawaz getting into the parliament to hasten their unceremonious departure from the positions gifted to them by an autocrat’s hunger for unbridled power.
Great Long March Not for Govern "for Justice"
Remember Mian Nawaz Sharif? The former Chief Minister of Punjab and two-time Prime Minister of Pakistan, famous for nuclear tests in Chaghi, seizure of Foreign Currency Accounts, attack on the Supreme Court of Pakistan, disposal of President Farooq Leghari, out-of-turn promotion of General Musharraf and then a dramatic attempt to oust Musharraf which backfired and resulted in end of Sharif government, imprisonment of Sharif brothers and ultimately a deal with Pervez Musharraf that allowed him, with family, a safe passage to Saudi Arabia.
Its an open secret how Nawaz Sharif spent his time at Surror Palace in Jeddah and then in England. On his return to Pakistan, and sensing public sentiment, PML-N gave election-slogan of restoration of judiciary and Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. He won substantial seats in the election meaning people of Pakistan gave him and his party the mandate to restore the judiciary. However, he failed to do so while Asif Ali Zardari took him for a ride. Now, almost a year has passed since the nation went to vote and PML-N has yet to deliver. PML-N and its leaders are all words and no action, especially in Punjab where Shahbaz Sharif claims he will do anything (except leaving the government) for restoration of judiciary.
Now, Nawaz Sharif is again getting vocal for the deposed judges, supporting lawyers and announcing full participation of PML-N in upcoming Long March. Maybe its an attempt to counter the cases against him, or he wants to be in mainstream if Lawyer Movement gets successful and PPP government exits. In any case, Nawaz Sharif is no different from Aitzaz Ahsan - the pied paper, who led the previous Long March and drowned it in Islamabad.10:57am UK, Monday March 16, 2009
Pakistan's main opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has agreed to call off a mass protest march after the government said it would reinstate the deposed chief justice.
Iftikar Chaudhry will take up his old job as chief justice
"We are now calling off this long march," Mr Sharif reportedly told the AFP news agency from his car in the central Pakistan city of Gujranwala.
He added the government U-turn had "saved Pakistan", quelling fears the unrest would further destabilise the region.
Thousands of opposition activists had taken part in the "long march" to express their anger that judges deposed by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had not been reinstated.
Pakistan's Power Struggle
As Islamabad returns to normal, Sky's Asia correspondent Alex Crawford reports on the eleventh hour resolution to the crisis
Earlier, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani agreed to reinstate the former chief justice, Iftikar Chaudhry - signalling an end to the tensions.
Mr Gilani says Mr Chaudhry will be sworn in on March 21, after the current chief justice retires.
He also ordered all lawyers and political activists arrested over the past week to be freed immediately and appealed for political reconciliation.
Nawaz Sharif
President Asif Ali Zardari had previously stonewalled calls from the opposition, led by Mr Sharif and a lawyers' movement, to restore the judge.
The protest march, which turned violent in Lahore over the weekend, was due to move towards the Pakistan capital Islamabad today.
Authorities in Lahore had issued an arrest warrant for Mr Sharif on Sunday in an attempt to stop the protest, but it was ignored.
Instead, the opposition leader joined hundreds of anti-government protesters on the streets, as clashes with police intensified.
Former President Pervez Musharraf fired Mr Chaudhry in 2007 after he took up cases challenging the leader's rule.
The move sparked a wave of protests that helped force Mr Musharraf from power in 2008.
His successor, Mr Zardari, pledged to reinstate Mr Chaudhry within 30 days of his party forming a government.
But he later reneged on the promise, apparently fearing the judge might examine a controversial immunity ruling enjoyed by Mr Zardari over alleged corruption cases.
Its an open secret how Nawaz Sharif spent his time at Surror Palace in Jeddah and then in England. On his return to Pakistan, and sensing public sentiment, PML-N gave election-slogan of restoration of judiciary and Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. He won substantial seats in the election meaning people of Pakistan gave him and his party the mandate to restore the judiciary. However, he failed to do so while Asif Ali Zardari took him for a ride. Now, almost a year has passed since the nation went to vote and PML-N has yet to deliver. PML-N and its leaders are all words and no action, especially in Punjab where Shahbaz Sharif claims he will do anything (except leaving the government) for restoration of judiciary.
Now, Nawaz Sharif is again getting vocal for the deposed judges, supporting lawyers and announcing full participation of PML-N in upcoming Long March. Maybe its an attempt to counter the cases against him, or he wants to be in mainstream if Lawyer Movement gets successful and PPP government exits. In any case, Nawaz Sharif is no different from Aitzaz Ahsan - the pied paper, who led the previous Long March and drowned it in Islamabad.10:57am UK, Monday March 16, 2009
Pakistan's main opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has agreed to call off a mass protest march after the government said it would reinstate the deposed chief justice.
Iftikar Chaudhry will take up his old job as chief justice
"We are now calling off this long march," Mr Sharif reportedly told the AFP news agency from his car in the central Pakistan city of Gujranwala.
He added the government U-turn had "saved Pakistan", quelling fears the unrest would further destabilise the region.
Thousands of opposition activists had taken part in the "long march" to express their anger that judges deposed by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had not been reinstated.
Pakistan's Power Struggle
As Islamabad returns to normal, Sky's Asia correspondent Alex Crawford reports on the eleventh hour resolution to the crisis
Earlier, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani agreed to reinstate the former chief justice, Iftikar Chaudhry - signalling an end to the tensions.
Mr Gilani says Mr Chaudhry will be sworn in on March 21, after the current chief justice retires.
He also ordered all lawyers and political activists arrested over the past week to be freed immediately and appealed for political reconciliation.
Nawaz Sharif
President Asif Ali Zardari had previously stonewalled calls from the opposition, led by Mr Sharif and a lawyers' movement, to restore the judge.
The protest march, which turned violent in Lahore over the weekend, was due to move towards the Pakistan capital Islamabad today.
Authorities in Lahore had issued an arrest warrant for Mr Sharif on Sunday in an attempt to stop the protest, but it was ignored.
Instead, the opposition leader joined hundreds of anti-government protesters on the streets, as clashes with police intensified.
Former President Pervez Musharraf fired Mr Chaudhry in 2007 after he took up cases challenging the leader's rule.
The move sparked a wave of protests that helped force Mr Musharraf from power in 2008.
His successor, Mr Zardari, pledged to reinstate Mr Chaudhry within 30 days of his party forming a government.
But he later reneged on the promise, apparently fearing the judge might examine a controversial immunity ruling enjoyed by Mr Zardari over alleged corruption cases.
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