He is known as a diligent administrator with such a great love of poetry that he often opens official meetings with recitals of famous revolutionary Urdu poets. After Shehbaz Sharif was appointed as Pakistan’s 23rd prime minister on Monday, his first words to parliament were those from a poem by Ata ul Haq Qasmi, a modern Pakistani poet and commentator, loftily espousing that “one must set himself free, from all bounds of desires”.
His ascension to the prime minister’s office marks the return of the wealthy Sharif family as one of the most powerful political dynasties in Pakistan. His brother, Nawaz Sharif, was prime minister three times between 1990 and 2017, during which time Shehbaz served as the chief minister of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous state.
While Nawaz was often seen as the one who could pull in crowds and win over voters, Shehbaz became known more for his practical skills in implementing policy and for his ambitious development agenda in Punjab.
“It has long been a dream of Shehbaz Sharif to become the prime minister to demonstrate his administrative and political skills,” said Cyril Almeida, a journalist and analyst. “He wanted to be the prime minister in 2013, but his brother Nawaz kept him in Punjab.”
Shehbaz Sharif, 70, initially worked in the family industrial business and then entered politics in 1988, becoming Punjab’s chief minister in 1997. But after his brother was toppled from power in a 1999 military coup, the Sharif family went into exile in Saudi Arabia. He returned to the country in 2007 and once again became chief minister of Punjab.
But in 2017, the Sharif family became shrouded in scandal after they were named in the Pandora Papers leak that revealed offshore assets. Nawaz was removed from office and put on trial. He and his daughter Maryam were found guilty of corruption and sentenced to jail for 10 and eight years respectively, charges they held were politically motivated – Nawaz has an openly contemptuous relationship with Pakistan’s powerful military establishment, which still plays a quiet but influential role in the country’s political affairs. Shehbaz has also faced numerous corruption investigations and charges over the years, but was never found guilty by a court.
The military was said to have put its backing behind then-opposition leader Imran Khan, who was elected prime minister in 2017.
Fahd Husain, an analyst and the former editor of Pakistan’s biggest news daily, Dawn, said Shehbaz Sharif was likely to have a hands-on style of governance that would be very different from that of Khan’s.
While Khan was known for charisma, Sharif’s reputation is one of capability. Hussain said Sharif’s leadership style would probably mark the end of the “confrontational” and populist politics Khan came to be known for, where he made grand promises of reform and held large rallies, and he would instead be a prime minister who “talks less and works more”.
“Shehbaz is used to rolling up his sleeves and getting down into the nitty-gritty of work,” said Husain. “We will be seeing a workaholic in office who will obsess on issues of performance, governance and delivery.”
With Sharif in power, there is likely to be a shift in foreign policy, particularly away from Khan’s vehement and often confrontational anti-western rhetoric that had left Pakistan’s diplomatic relations with the US and Europe in tatters. Sharif was also known for working closely with China during his time in Punjab.
Sharif’s relationship with the military is also likely to differ from that of Khan and of his brother Nawaz. While there was little love lost between Nawaz and the military establishment, and the relationship became increasingly confrontational in his third term in power, Shehbaz is seen to have a much better working relationship with this army while not being as beholden to them as Khan was seen to be during most of his time in office.
“The military won’t be as involved in his administration as it was involved during Khan’s government, which was completely dependent on the army,” said Zahid Hussain, an author and political analyst. “But one thing is clear, Shehbaz and the army will work closely together.”
