Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was born in Lahore, Pakistan on December 25, 1949. He is the son of Muhammad Sharif, who was a joint owner of Ittefaq Group of Industries. Nawaz Sharif attended high school at St. Anthony's High School and graduated college from the Government College at Lahore. He went to further his education at Punjab University, where he obtained his law degree.
Sharif became a member of the Punjab Provincial Council, and stayed at that position for some time. He overtook the cabinet position of Finance Minister of Punjab in 1981 and at that position, he raised the allocation of funds in the development of rural areas to 70%. He was also very involved in sports, as he was able to reorganize sports, in general, to the Punjab province.In 1985, Sharif won the the job of Chief Minister of Punjab by an overwhelming majority and he was sworn in April of that year. In May of 1988, General Zia was dismissed as caretaker Chief Minister, and that position was appointed to Nawaz Sharif on May 31, 1988. He was re-elected in the elections in 1988.
In 1990, Nawaz Sharif stepped up and was elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan, being sworn in on November 6, 1990. He only lasted three of the five years as Prime Minster as the President of the country dismissed him in April of 1993. During his shortened term of Prime Minister, he did do some good to the country.
He started the Ghazi Brotha and Gawadar Mini Port, two major projects. The Ghazi Brotha is a hydro power plant and the Gawadar Mini Port is a harbor in Pakistan. He also distributed land to those unfortunated enough to earn it themselves. He improved relations with other Central Asian Muslim countries and he improved the economy of the nation, even with the US sanctions placed on Pakistan through the Pressler Amendment. He helped reach the Islamabad Accord, which ended a civil war-like crisis in Afghanistan.
In February of 1997, Nawaz Sharif was reelected as Prime Minister of Pakistan. During this reign as Prime Minsiter, he dismissed the 13th Constitutional Amendment, which stripped the President's power to dismiss the Prime Minister. He also improved internal improvements during this second term as he improved the road linking Islamabad and Lahore.
He was also doing tasks to hurt his public image. He had disagreements, which were publicized, with the Chief Justice of the Pakistan main court. His relationship with Farooq Leghari, the President at the time, was also not a very strong one. Both men, Leghari and Sharif, were political opponents of each other. With Sharif's backing of the decision to remove the 13th Amendment and it being removed, Sajjad Ali Shah, Chief Justice, resigned. Then on December 2, 1997, Farooq Leghari, the President, resigned.
The Plane Conspiracy occured on October 12, 1999. A passenger plan from Sri Lanka was carrying 198 passengers, including General Pervez Musharraf. Nawaz Sharif refused to allow the plane to land in Karachi. The plane was low on fuel and it was taken as an attempt to kill Musharraf by the Sharif-led government, that is why the issue is given such infamacy. While the plane was in the air, the military took control of the country through a bloodless coup, and when the plane landed, General Pervez Musharraf named himself the Chief Executive. He has been in power since.
Sharif was put on trial for the Plane Conspiracy. He was convicted of hijacking and terrorism and sentenced to life in prison by an antiterrorism court. The Saudi Arabian Royal Family requested that he be given political sanctuary and that he live in Saudi Arabia. That is where he now lives with him family.
On August 19, 2002, Nawaz Sharif expressed his interest in throwing his name in the October general elections in Pakistan. Him, his brother, Mian Shahbaz Sharif, and his wife, Begum Kalsoom Nawaz, all will contest the election. Nawaz has seem to not be running after all as he gave over party leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League to his brother, Shahbaz. Nominations for the election must be filed by Saturday, August 31, 2002. Current President Pervez Musharraf threatened Nawaz Sharif and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto not to enter Pakistan, or they would be arrested.
Sources:
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0855259.html
http://www.storyofpakistan.com/person.asp?perid=P027
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters08-19-102011.asp?reg=ASIA