Nawaz Sharif’s struggle to be home

Twice PM, twice ousted

• Born on December 25, 1949 in Lahore, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the leader of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), was twice elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan but was not able to complete his term on both occasions.

• His first term was from November 1, 1990 to July 18, 1993. The then President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dissolved the National Assembly cutting short his rule.

Coup and exile

• Sharif’s popularity reached a peak when his Government carried out atomic tests on May 28, 1998. Soon after that, Sharif undertook a major peace initiative with India in February 1999.

• But the surprise invasion of Indian territory in Kargil in the summer of 1999 proved to be a major blow to his regime. Sharif claims the attack was launched by Musharraf without his knowledge.

• The chain of events after Kargil war let to the overthrow of Sharif government in a coup on October 12, 1999. On July 22, 2000, Sharif was sentenced to 14 years' jail for allegedly obstructing the landing of a plane carrying Musharraf and banned from public office for 21 years on corruption charges.

• On December 10 the same year, he was “pardoned” as part of a “deal” with the Pakistan government and Saudi royal family after which he was sent to exile in Jeddah along with 20 members of his family for “for 10 years”.

The fight to be back

• The Sharifs stayed out of media glare until they moved to London last year after Musharraf restored their passports. With Musharraf's hold on power slipping away under pressure from a popular unrest and a combative Supreme /Court, Sharif along with his brother Shahbaz appealed to the Supreme Court, headed by reinstated Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry, to issue a directive to authorities not to obstruct their return home.

• The apex court ruled on August 23 that they had an “inalienable right” to stay in Pakistan. Armed by the ruling, Sharif on August 30 announced his return, vowing to topple the embattled General.

• Sharif’s...