Age, Biography and Wiki
Nawaz Sharif was born on December 25, 1949, in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. He is best known for his three non-consecutive terms as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Sharif rose to prominence in Pakistani politics, especially with his long-standing association with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party. He has been one of the most influential figures in Pakistani politics, earning the nickname "Lion of the Punjab" for his dominance in the region.
Occupation | Prime Ministers |
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Date of Birth | 25 December 1949 |
Age | 75 Years |
Birth Place | Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
Horoscope | Capricorn |
Country | Pakistan |
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific details about Nawaz Sharif's height and weight are not readily available, he is often recognized for his political stature rather than physical attributes.
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Dating & Relationship status
Nawaz Sharif is married to Kulsoom Nawaz, and they have four children together. Kulsoom Nawaz passed away in 2018. The family has been deeply involved in Pakistani politics, with both sons, Hasan and Hussain Nawaz, being part of significant political and business dealings.
The Sharif family are Punjabi-speaking Kashmiris. His father, Muhammad Sharif, was an upper-middle-class businessman and industrialist whose family had emigrated from Anantnag in Kashmir for business. They settled in the village of Jati Umra in Amritsar district, Punjab, at the beginning of the twentieth century. His mother's family came from Pulwama. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Nawaz's parents migrated from Amritsar to Lahore. His father followed the teachings of the Ahl-i Hadith. His family owns Ittefaq Group, a multimillion-dollar steel conglomerate, and Sharif Group, a conglomerate with holdings in agriculture, transport and sugar mills. He has two younger brothers: Shehbaz Sharif and the late Abbas Sharif, both of whom are politicians.
Kulsoom, the wife of Nawaz Sharif, had two sisters and a brother. On her mother's side, she was the granddaughter of the famous wrestler, The Great Gama (Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt). Kulsoom married Nawaz Sharif in April 1970, and together they have four children: Maryam, Asma, Hassan, and Hussain.
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Husband | Kulsoom Nawaz (m. 1971-2018) |
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Net Worth and salary
As of 2025, Nawaz Sharif's net worth is estimated to be between $1.6 billion and $2.0 billion. His wealth is largely attributed to his family's business conglomerate, the Ittefaq Group, which engages in steel manufacturing, real estate, and construction.
The privatisation programme reversed the nationalisation by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the PPP in the 1970s. By 1993, around 115 nationalised industries were opened to private ownership, including the National Development Finance Corporation, Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation, and Pakistan State Oil. This boosted the economy but a lack of competition in bidding allowed the rise of business oligarchs and further widened the wealth gap, contributing to political instability. Former science advisor Dr. Mubashir Hassan called Nawaz's privatisation "unconstitutional". The PPP held that nationalisation policy was given constitutional status by parliament, and that privatisation policies were illegal and had taken place without parliamentary approval.
Nawaz initiated several large-scale projects to stimulate the economy, such as the Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project. However, unemployment remained a challenge. In an attempt to counter this, Nawaz imported thousands of privatised Yellow-cab taxis for young Pakistanis, but few of the loans were repaid and Nawaz was forced to pay for them through his steel industry. Nawaz's projects were not evenly distributed, focusing on Punjab and Kashmir Provinces, the base of his support, with lesser efforts in Khyber and Balochistan provinces, and no benefits from industrialization in Sindh Province. After intense criticism from the PPP and MQM, Nawaz completed the Orangi Cottage Industrial Zone but this did not repair his reputation in Sindh. Opponents accused Nawaz of using political influence to build factories for himself and his business, for expanding the Armed Forces' secretive industrial conglomerate and bribing generals.
Career, Business and Investments
Sharif's career in politics began in the 1980s, serving as the Chief Minister of Punjab from 1985 to 1990. He later served as Prime Minister from 1990 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 1999. His third term as Prime Minister started in 2013 but was cut short due to his disqualification by the Supreme Court in 2017. Apart from politics, his business empire, the Ittefaq Group, has been a significant contributor to his wealth.
Born into the upper-middle-class Sharif family in Lahore, Nawaz is the son of Muhammad Sharif, the founder of Ittefaq and Sharif groups. Nawaz studied business at Government College and law at the University of Punjab. Nawaz entered into politics in 1981, when he was appointed by President Zia as the minister of finance for the province of Punjab. Backed by a loose coalition of conservatives, Nawaz was elected as the chief minister of Punjab in 1985 and re-elected after the end of martial law in 1988.
Nawaz went to Saint Anthony High School. He graduated from the Government College University (GCU) with an art and business degree and then received a law degree from the Law College of Punjab University in Lahore.
Nawaz faced considerable financial challenges when his family's steel business was affected by the Nationalisation Policies implemented by former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. This experience prompted him to pursue a career in politics, where he initially focused on the objective of restoring control over the steel plants that were significant to his family. In the late 1970s, he joined Asghar Khan's Tehreek-e-Istiqlal, which was a notable political movement at the time. His capabilities were soon recognized by General Zia ul-Haq, who appointed him as the Finance Minister of Punjab. By 1976, Nawaz also became a member of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), a conservative party with deep roots in the Punjab province, contributing to the political landscape of the region.
During the 1980s, Nawaz gained influence as a supporter of General Zia-ul-Haq's military government. Zia-ul-Haq agreed to return the steel industry to Nawaz, who convinced the general to denationalise and deregulate industries to improve the economy. Within Punjab, Nawaz privatised government-owned industries and presented development-oriented budgets to the military government. These policies raised financial capital and helped increase the standard of living and purchasing power in the province, which in turn improved law and order and extended Khan's rule. Punjab was the richest province and received more federal funding than the other provinces of Pakistan, contributing to economical inequality.
As chief minister, Nawaz stressed welfare and development activities and the maintenance of law and order. Khan beautified Lahore, extended military infrastructure, and silenced political opposition, while Nawaz expanded economic infrastructure to benefit the army, his own business interests, and the people of Punjab. In 1988, General Zia dismissed the government of Junejo and called for new elections. However, Zia retained Nawaz as the Chief Minister of Punjab, and until his death, continued to support Nawaz.
After General Zia's death in August 1988, his political party – Pakistan Muslim League (Pagara Group) – split into two factions. Nawaz led the Zia-loyalist Fida Group against the Prime Minister's Junejo's Pakistan Muslim League (J). The Fida Group later took on the mantle of the PML while the Junejo Group became known as the JIP. The two parties along with seven other right-wing conservative and religious parties united with encouragement and funding from the ISI to form the Islami Jamhuri Ittihad (IJI). (The IJI received ₨15 million from Zia loyalists in the ISI, with a substantial role played by Nawaz's ally Gul. ) The alliance was led by Nawaz and Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and opposed Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the elections. The IJI gained a majority in Punjab, and Nawaz was re-elected as the chief minister.
Unemployment had limited Pakistan's economic growth and Nawaz believed that only privatisation could solve this problem. Nawaz introduced an economy based on privatisation and economic liberalisation, notably for banks and industries. According to the US Department of State, this followed a vision of "turning Pakistan into a [South] Korea by encouraging greater private saving and investment to accelerate economic growth."
While privatising industry, Nawaz took steps for intense government control of science in Pakistan, and placed projects under his authorisation. In 1991, Nawaz founded and authorised the Pakistan Antarctic Programme under the scientific directions of National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), with the Pakistan Navy's Weapons Engineering Division, and first established the Jinnah Antarctic Station and Polar Research Cell. In 1992, Pakistan became an associate member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.
Social Network
While Nawaz Sharif is not known for an active personal social media presence, his political activities and news updates are widely covered on various platforms.
Education
Sharif holds a degree in commerce from Government College, Lahore, and later earned a law degree from the University of Punjab. His educational background has played a role in shaping his business and political acumen.
In summary, Nawaz Sharif's net worth and career are marked by his significant political influence and successful business ventures. His legacy continues to shape Pakistani politics and economy.
On 28 July 1997, Nawaz declared 1997 a year of science in Pakistan and personally allotted funds for the 22nd INSC College on Theoretical Physics. In 1999, Nawaz signed the executive decree, declaring 28 May as the National Science Day in Pakistan.