Nawaz Sharif is set to form a new government in Pakistan. He was prime minister of the country twice in the 1990s. Experts hope to see a “new Sharif” this time when he sits in the PM office in Islamabad again.
Fourteen years ago, the Pakistan Army ousted him and later sent to exile. But Nawaz is now all set to return to power after winning the historic May 11 parliamentary elections.
His archrival Imran Khan’s party has emerged as the second-strongest party in the elections and won the most seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“The results of the elections show that the voters have been extremely disappointed with the PPP government. They hold the PPP responsible for the economic and energy crises in the country,” Britta Petersen, head of the Heinrich Boell Foundation in Islamabad, told DW.
Nawaz is most likely to become the prime minister of Pakistan again. It will be his third term as premier. He was prime minister from 1990 to 1993 and 1997 to 1999. Each time, he could not complete his constitutional term. In 1992, he was sacked by then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan over corruption allegations.
Eight years later, his government was toppled in a military coup by General Pervez Musharraf. He returned to Pakistan in 2007, but could not participate in the 2008 general elections due to an alleged ‘deal’ with former president Pervez Musharraf. His party, however, won the provincial elections in Punjab and his brother Shahbaz Sharif became the chief minister.
Experts say that Pakistan was facing enormous challenges and that it won’t be easy for the new government to deal with them. The nuclear-armed country is facing protracted insurgency. The economy is in a shambles. Around one-fifth of the population lives in extreme poverty.
“The fact that a single political party has got the majority indicates that the next Pakistani government will not be a weak one,” Mubashir Zaidi, a political analyst, told DW. “This will help Pakistan gain political and economic strength,” Zaidi said.
Experts say that Nawaz is likely to continue with the liberal market policies and go for more privatisation which might increase economic growth.
On the political front, he is opposed to the military’s interference in politics. The Pakistan Army has ruled the country for a combined total of over 30 years. The army has apparently stayed out of politics, ever since former president Pervez Musharraf resigned in 2008. But political experts say army generals still call the shots in Pakistan and that Nawaz may come into conflict with them once again.
He has repeatedly said that he would like to work with the US. Experts hope that he would not go into direct confrontation with the US.
“Pakistan is economically dependent on the US, therefore, I do not expect major shifts in Sharif’s foreign policy in relation to the US,” Petersen said.
The PML-N leader’s rise to power can be a good sign for Indo-Pakistani relations. Presently, trade relations between the two South Asian rivals are not too good, but this might change with him.
“[Nawaz] Sharif said in an interview with an Indian TV channel that he wants to improve relations with India,” Zaidi said, adding that this was “absolutely necessary” for the future of South Asia. He was also of the view that Pakistan should not waste time fighting with neighbouring countries and that it should work on stabilising itself.
