With Sharif in charge, the former opposition can now rule until August 2023. She announced that after an electoral reform, the vote will be brought forward. Since independence from Britain in 1947, a prime minister has not served a regular term in the country of 220 million people. However, Khan is the first to be overthrown by a vote of no confidence. Pakistan was ruled by the military for almost half the time, which brought down three civilian governments. According to analysts, the army should maintain good relations with the new head of government.
The parties that elected the new prime minister Sharif also have little in common. For observers, it is questionable whether they can unite their individual interests in day-to-day politics to lead the country into calmer waters and govern efficiently. Furthermore, former Prime Minister Khan wants to continue to be politically involved. He has already called for protests.
The Sharif family
Shehbaz Sharif, 70, comes from the political dynasty of the Sharifs, a family of successful industrialists. Like his older brother Nawaz Sharif, he worked in the family business before his political career. In his home country, the populous province of Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif was prime minister for three terms and mainly carried out infrastructure projects.
After the 1999 military coup and the removal of his older brother from power, he and his family went into exile in Saudi Arabia. Eight years later, he returned to politics, first as head of government in Punjab. In 2018 he was elected to the National Assembly, later elected leader of the opposition. The younger Sharif is the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N).
He owes his popularity above all to his charismatic brother’s image, explains Irfan Shahzad, an expert at the Eurasia Century Institute in the capital, Islamabad. He is considered a “man with a pragmatic approach” towards the powerful military. Internationally, Shehbaz Sharif maintains good relations with China.
The Sharif family has been repeatedly accused of corruption. Nawaz Sharif, for example, appeared in the “Panama Papers”, which cost him the post of prime minister. He was sentenced to several years in prison. Sharif, who is still facing legal action in the country, flew to the UK for medical treatment in late 2019.
Shehbaz Sharif was also arrested and charged several times. After the corruption allegations were not substantiated, he was released again. The opposition saw such allegations as politically motivated. The government of Imran Khan, who was ousted from office, has always justified this with a tough crackdown on corruption.