Pakistan’s Sharif scores a dubious hat-trick in political survival
Islamabad — Pakistan’s three-time Premier Nawaz Sharif, whose power base earned him the moniker Lion of Punjab, is a political survivor who has repeatedly roared back to the country’s top office. Sharif scored a hat-trick Friday after being ousted from office yet again — this time after being disqualified by the supreme court. But Sharif — who hails from Pakistan’s richest and most populous province, Punjab — has already made two seemingly unthinkable comebacks, underscoring the unpredictable nature of Pakistani politics. A hugely wealthy steel tycoon considered strong on the economy and infrastructure, he inherited enormous problems of sagging finances and a stifling energy crisis. He comes across as soft-spoken and shy with international media but earned a reputation for combativeness during his two previous terms as prime minister from 1990 to 1993, and 1997 to 1999. He has been seen as a pragmatist in the West but raised eyebrows by calling for peace talks with the Pakistani Tal...
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