Sharif makes yet another bid in Pak politics

Nawaz Sharif arrived 7 years after he was forced into exile by Musharraf, injecting fresh momentum to political activities.

Deposed Premier Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan, ending his forced exile in Saudi Arabia and hoping to kick-start his chequered career in the politically unstable nation, currently reeling under emergency and ensuing international condemnation.

In sharp contrast to the unceremonious reception Sharif received last time in September when he tried to end his seven-year exile, this time the Pakistani government ensured that the return of senior PML-N leader, a likely contender for premiership when polls are held in January, went smoothly.

The return of the two-time prime minister this time is apparently under a deal with embattled Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s government, facilitated by the audi rulers, and comes nearly a month after his bitter rival Benazir Bhutto also came back to the country after nine years in self-exile.

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Born on December 25, 1949 in Lahore, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the leader of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), was twice elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan but was not able to complete his term on both occasions.

His first term was from November 1, 1990 to July 18, 1993. The then President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dissolved the National Assembly cutting short his rule. Khan was overruled by the Supreme Court but Sharif chose to resign from office.

The second term from February 17, 1997 to October 12, 1999 ended abruptly when he was overthrown by General Pervez Musharraf in a bloodless coup.

His popularity had reached a peak when his government carried out a tit-for-tat atomic tests on May 28, 1998 in response to India’s nuclear tests two weeks earlier.