LAHORE - Nawaz Sharif would be remembered in country’s history as a leader who rose to unbelievable political heights and then faced an unceremonious ouster at the hands of the Supreme Court, sealing his 37-year political career.

The businessman-turned-politician would also be remembered as a leader who had differences with the presidents, the army chiefs and even the judiciary, something against the principles of co-existence those in power frequently preach.

He remained prime minister for three incomplete terms, every time removed in a different way. His first government was removed by the president, the second overthrown by the army, and the third sent packing by the judiciary.

He wanted to make all institutions subservient to the civilian leadership. But he failed to achieve the target despite all efforts.

Nobody will ever be able to break the record of three terms of Mr Sharif as prime minister. And nobody can predict the fate of the half a dozen family members who face references under orders of the apex court.

While migrating from India to Pakistan, the Sharif family would not have had the wildest idea that they would rule the Islamic Republic, or that they would also have to move to a new destination - Saudi Arabia - and spend seven years in exile.

Similarly, it was beyond anybody’s imagination that they would return to Pakistan to get another chance to govern the country of 200 million people and then be ousted as a result of the process started by Panama Papers allegations.

The SC judges ruled yesterday that NS had been dishonest to the parliament and the courts in not disclosing his employment in the Dubai-based Capital FZE company in his 2013 nomination papers, and thus, could not be deemed fit for his office.

All this sounds like a fairy tale.

NS was a ‘discovery’ of Gen Ziaul Haq, who had overthrown the Bhutto government in July 1977 and hanged the PPP chairman two years later, needed support from all quarters to be able to deal with reaction from the ‘aggrieved’ party.

He was appointed finance minister in 1981 in the Punjab cabinet, headed by then governor Ghulam Jilani Khan.

He contested the 1985 party-less election, which was boycotted by parties like PPP as being unconstitutional, and was appointed as Punjab chief minister. Gen Ghulam Jilani Khan remained the governor.

Muhammad Khan Junejo of Sindhri, Sindh, was chosen as prime minister. When Gen Zia dismissed the Junejo government on various charges, NS welcomed the action despite the fact that he was the provincial president of the PML, of which the Sindhi leader was the central president. Many leaders, including Ghulam Haider Wyne, did not like the welcome statement, saying Gen Zia’s action amounted to insulting the PML.

NS was again elected as Punjab chief minister as a result of the 1988 election, which brought Benazir Bhutto to power at the federal level.

The 1988-90 period saw the worst kind of confrontation between NS and BB. As CM, the PML leader did not give the kind of respect and cooperation she deserved as premier. The friction between two un-equals raised the political stature of NS.

In 1990, NS became prime minister and developed differences with then army chief Gen Mirza Aslam Beg, although he had played key role in getting BB government dismissed by then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

NS also did not have normal relations with next COAS Gen Asif Nawaz.

NS then developed serious differences with the president, who sacked his government on multiple charges in April 1993. A day before being dismissed the prime minister made a televised address to the nation, levelling serious allegations against the president, and declaring in categorical terms that he would neither resign, nor dissolve the assembly, nor take dictation.

The assembly dissolution was challenged in the Supreme Court, which restored it after 40 days. However, differences between the president and the prime minister could not be resolved, as a result of which the system became dysfunctional. Then army chief Gen Waheed Kakar mediated, because of which both leaders had to resign, paving the way for fresh election.

NS returned to power as a result of the 1997 election.

The prime minister’s relations with then president Farooq Leghari and then chief justice worsened. Both had to step down as Gen Karamat supported the prime minister.

But after some time NS made Gen Jehangir Karamat to resign on his suggestion for the establishment of National Security Council and a fair accountability process.

He appointed Gen Musharraf as next army chief and then dismissed him when he was returning from Colombo to Karachi. The army toppled the NS government, a step that paved the way for Gen Musharraf to stay in power for about nine years.

Musharraf, as a result of pressure from Saudi Arabia and US president Clinton, allowed the Sharif family to go into exile and stay in the oil-rich kingdom for 10 years. However, he returned to Pakistan after seven years, when Benazir Bhutto also came back, in violation to her understanding with Gen Musharraf to stay out of Pakistan till the completion of 2008 elections.

NS won the 2013 election with a big majority. It was expected that this time he would complete the term. But the Panama Papers changed the situation. He survived the PTI-PAT sit-ins, but not the case taken to the apex court on the basis of Panama Papers allegations.

It is hard to say whether any future prime minister would be lucky enough to complete term and have the kind of authority NS wanted for himself.

 

 

NS: Three terms, three tragedies