Country has got a popular leader in the silhouette of Nawaz Sharif, who has become unmatched leader of the urban population of Punjab. His followers gave tough time to the police force throughout Sunday at The Mall Road. They were charged further when Nawaz Sharif urged them to be pessimistic, as all the hurdles and barricades erected by the police would prove temporary.
And it proved correct later on when Nawaz proceeded to Islamabad from his Model Town residence with his nephew Hamza Shahbaz on driving seat. The Lahore city was completely sealed and blocked by the police early Sunday morning but still a large number of PML-N and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) workers made their way to the General Post Office (GPO) square, adjacent to the Lahore High Court where main gathering of long marchers was scheduled.
The JI workers made the show in early part of Sunday morning and defied the police efforts of containing them from the GPO square. It was followed by a fight between the PML-N workers and the police force, which continued until Nawaz Sharif left his Model Town residence for the GPO square.
The police force sidelined immediately after the removal of first hurdle by the PML-N workers at the Kalma Square. The political scene of the country registered a big change immediately after it, as the household wives poured out of their homes across the Ferozepur Road . Many of them were hanging to their roadside windows of multi-storey buildings. The children and youngsters were also highly charged and they were riding their motorbikes, a sheer violation of ban on motorbike riding by the provincial government due to Basant, and raising slogans in favour of Nawaz Sharif.
Even, a large number of elders of the city were also on the both sides of the Ferozepur Roads. Also, a large number of youngsters involved in kite-flying forgot their Basant activity and welcomed Nawaz Sharif. The overhead bridges at the Ferozepur Road were also full of public, waiting for the caravan of Nawaz Sharif. Further, a large number of walled city Lahorites also rushed to the GPO Square once they found the caravan of Nawaz Sharif leading to the GPO Square. Many household wives along with their young girls were found carrying posters and flags of Nawaz Sharif in their hands and raising slogans throughout their way to the GPO Square.
Born on December 25, 1949 in Lahore, Nawaz was twice elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan, the first from November 1, 1990 to July 18, 1993 and the second from February 17, 1997 to October 12, 1999. He is best known internationally for ordering Pakistan s 1998 nuclear tests in response to India s nuclear tests, and the abrupt end of his final term in a dramatic coup staged by the then Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf. He is one of the richest men in Pakistan with a net worth of US $1.4 billion. Nawaz Sharif is also currently a strong supporter of the free judiciary movement in Pakistan and restoration of Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmad.
Nawaz Sharif hails from a family that traces its roots to Shopian in the Kashmir valley. His father, Muhammad Sharif, migrated in 1947 to Pakistan from Amritsar , India . After independence Muhammad Sharif established a small tinned shop on a bicycle which gradually turned into what was later known as Ittefaq Group. Nawaz was a part time cricketer during his early life, and played a first class game in the 1973-74 season representing Pakistan Railways. He also played a side match against West Indies when he was Prime Minister. During his premiership he used to play cricket only as a batsman. He married Kulsoom Nawaz, who is the grandniece of the famous Kashmiri wrestler - The Great Gama.
Nawaz Sharif was educated at Saint Anthonys High School and Government College, Lahore, and received a law degree from Punjab University. Following his education, he entered Punjab provincial politics, joining the Punjab advisory district council.
He initially joined politics in the late 1970s when he became a member of Asghar Khans Tehrik-e-Istiqlal. He was then chosen by General Zia ul Haq, one of his admirers, as a finance Minister.
He became finance minister of Punjab in 1981 and also served as minister of sports. He was credited with increasing funding for sports activities and rural projects. In order to normalise relations between India and Pakistan , Nawaz Sharif undertook a major initiative in February 1999. This initiative led to a visit by the Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to Lahore via bus, across the Wagah border, in 1999.
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