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08 ❘ NEWsmaker CONTACT US AT: 8351-9185, [email protected] Fri/Sat/Sun August 4~6, 2017 Shahbaz Sharif Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s PM-in-waiting with WhatsApp messages in the dead of night — has won him admirers in Lahore. Shahbaz likes to call himself Khadim-i-Aala (chief servant) rather than chief minister. “Like it or not, if you want to work with Shahbaz Sharif, you have to be on your toes all the time,” said Athar Ali Khan, a Punjab government officer who has worked with him for a long time. The Supreme Court on Friday disqualified Nawaz from office over undeclared income and ordered a criminal investigation into him and his family. But Shahbaz’s accession is nonethe- less almost guaranteed due to PML- N’s hefty majority in parliament, and it adds to Pakistan’s long history of dynastic politics. S hahbaz’s governing style is in sharp contrast to Nawaz’s hands-off approach, but the two brothers espouse a similar pro-business ideology. Their biggest difference may be in their relations with the military. “It is well known that Shahbaz Sharif is more practical, more pragmatic vis- a-vis the army,” said Khaled Ahmed, an author and contributing editor to Newsweek Pakistan. A political source close to the ousted prime minister said Shahbaz believes civilians must grow the US$300 bil- lion economy and boost development before they can try to rein in the estab- lishment. “I have listened to him talk about this … and he thinks it’s a matter of decades before the civilians can interfere with the military,” said the source. Shahbaz’s critics say his preference for a small cadre of advisers over elected provincial ministers has lim- ited his popularity within PML-N, and he has never challenged his brother’s authority. Few expect that to change. A senior PML-N source said Nawaz would take a back seat, but would likely still call the shots on major policy issues. “Nawaz’s decisions will be final,” said a senior PML-N official, who did not wish to be named. “But I know Nawaz Sharif and he’s just not going to be interfering too much. He’s not a micro-managing person.” Several aides to Shahbaz paint a pic- ture of a tough taskmaster, berating officials to ensure major infrastructure projects are finished on time. First elected as chief minister in Punjab in 1997, Shahbaz is considered to be more intelligent and less charis- matic than his older brother. He has a reputation for passionate outbursts and a fondness for hats. In 1999, General Pervez Musharraf ousted his brother — then serving his second term as prime minister — in a military coup and both brothers went into exile in Saudi Arabia, not return- ing until 2007. Shahbaz was again elected as chief minister of Punjab in 2008 and has been in place since then, becoming the longest serving top official in the province. In Punjab, he has presided over a series of big ticket infrastructure projects, including Pakistan’s first Metro bus service. He is known for using revolutionary POLITICS seems to be a family business in Pakistan and ousted leader Nawaz Sharif has looked no further than his brother Shahbaz Sharif for a successor, but the prime minister-in-waiting is no carbon copy and is likely to usher in a new style at the top of government. On Tuesday, former Petroleum Min- ister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was sworn in as the prime minister of Pakistan, replacing Nawaz Sharif who has been disqualified by the Supreme Court over “dishonesty” following a probe into the Panama Papers leaks. While Abbasi’s comfortable win fol- lowing the National Assembly vote was expected, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is interpreting it as a resounding triumph that reaf- firms the party’s parliamentary clout. However, despite Abbasi’s claims that he’s no “bench warmer,” the party’s plan is to eventually allow Shahbaz to take over as the prime minister, after contesting a by-election on the seat vacated by his elder brother Nawaz. “I support Shahbaz Sharif after me but he will take time to contest elec- tions so for the time being I nominate Shahid Khaqan Abbasi,” Nawaz said in a televised speech to his party. This would mean the younger Sharif giving up his current position as the chief minister of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous and prosperous prov- ince, which could be taken up by his son (and Nawaz’s nephew), Hamza Shahbaz Sharif. This shakeup in the center and Punjab, expected to materialize by the end of September, would reaffirm the Sharif family’s control over the federal and Punjab governments — and the ruling party named after them. B orn in Lahore in 1951, Shah- baz graduated from Govern- ment College, Lahore with distinction. He started his professional life as a businessman and became the president of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1985. He later joined politics and served as a member of the Punjab Assembly from 1988 to 1990 and as a member of the National Assembly from 1990 to 1993. He was elected as a member of the Punjab Assembly again in 1993 and served as leader of the opposition from 1993 to 1996. Shahbaz has been in Nawaz’s shadow during their three decades in politics, forging a reputation as a workaholic administrator obsessed with infrastruc- ture mega-projects in the vast Punjab province, the family’s powerbase that is home to more than half of Pakistan’s 190 million people. Shahbaz is the second son of Mian Mohammad Sharif. He is an influential businessman and jointly owns Ittefaq Group, a multi million-dollar steel conglomerate. The Sharif family is a prominent political family of Pakistan. Along with the Bhuttos, the family has dominated for much of Pakistan’s political history since 1983. Shahbaz’s hands-on style as chief minister of Punjab — peppering officials poetry in speeches and public meetings and considered by some to be a worka- holic. His scandalous relationships fueled headlines in the past, but his marriage to the author Tehmina Durrani, who is his fifth wife, in 2003 has since dampened the media frenzy. Durrani, a feminist whose book “My Feudal Lord” earned her international acclaim, is also credited with improving Sharif’s respect for women. Shahbaz first married his cousin Nusrat Shahbaz in 1973, who was a mother of four children including Hamza, Salman Sharif and two daughters. Like his father, Hamza has also had several marriages. S hahbaz will have to contest a National Assembly seat before stepping into his brother’s recently-vacated shoes as prime minister. The nomination of Shahbaz, whose bla- tant confrontation with the intelligence chief last year instigated a civil-military crisis that sent two senior PML-N lead- ers packing, would reaffirm the party’s alignment in opposition to the military establishment. Abbasi began his first full day in office Wednesday by meeting Nawaz, a signal the ex-prime minister would continue to wield influence. Shahbaz was also present at the meet- ing, footage released by Abbasi’s office showed. A quick transition may ease fears that the nuclear-armed nation will be plunged into another bout of turmoil, which could erode economic and security gains since the last poll in 2013. “In a country as volatile as Pakistan, there’s good reason to be concerned whenever a prime minister is dismissed,” said Michael Kugelman of the DC-based Wilson Center. “But my sense is that everything will eventually fall into place — a successor will be chosen and the current govern- ment will serve out its term.” (SD-Agencies) Tehmina Durrani (L) and Shahbaz Sharif in this undated file photo. SD-Agencies Nawaz Sharif (L) and Shahbaz Sharif in this undated file photo. SD-Agencies
