Shehbaz Sharif

Title & tenure

23rd and 25th Prime Minister of Pakistan (2022–2023, 2024–present)

In office: 2022 – present

Predecessor:

Imran Khan (1st term); Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, caretaker (2nd term)

Successor:

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, caretaker (after 1st term)

Biography

Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif and a long-serving Chief Minister of Punjab known for an administration-focused governing style, became Prime Minister in 2022 after leading the multi-party opposition coalition that removed Imran Khan through a vote of no confidence, and returned to the office after the 2024 general election.

Achievements

• Served multiple terms as Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan's largest province, known for infrastructure and public-service delivery initiatives such as the Metro Bus projects
• Led his first government's negotiation of a critical IMF Stand-By Arrangement in 2023 to avert a sovereign debt default amid a severe balance-of-payments crisis
• Formed a coalition government after the closely contested 2024 general election, continuing economic stabilization efforts into a second term

Key events

• Led the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) opposition alliance's successful vote of no confidence against Imran Khan in April 2022
• Governed through a severe economic crisis in 2022–23, including record inflation and a near-default averted by IMF support
• Became Prime Minister again in 2024 following a general election whose fairness was disputed by opposition parties, particularly Imran Khan's PTI

Legacy

Shehbaz Sharif is associated with a pragmatic, administration-driven approach to governance, most tested by his first term's severe economic crisis management, and his second term continues to be shaped by ongoing political tension with the imprisoned Imran Khan's PTI.

How it ended

First term ended with the completion of the National Assembly's term in August 2023, handing over to a caretaker government; began a second term in 2024, serving as of this writing.