Who is Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif's brother likely to succeed Imran Khan as Pakistan PM

Shehbaz Sharif is the younger brother of former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Shehbaz Sharif, the leader of the Opposition in Pakistan, is the frontrunner to become the next prime minister of the country on Monday after Imran Khan’s midnight ouster on Saturday.

The political turmoil that unfolded weeks ago in Pakistan saw Sharif take charge of the united Opposition. He is the younger brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The beleaguered older Sharif brother had been jailed on corruption charges in 2017 and is in the UK after being released from jail two years later on medical grounds.

Shehbaz Sharif has a known penchant for quoting revolutionary poetry and passionate speeches, many of which have started doing the rounds on social media. Sharif has served as the chief minister of Punjab for years – a bastion for the family, and is the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N).

The 70-year-old led the Opposition to oust Khan, a former cricketer-turned-politician, after his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lost majority in the 342-member Assembly last month.

A tough administrator and known as a workaholic, Sharif was elected to Punjab’s provincial office in 1988 and over the years presided over several key infrastructure projects including the country’s first metro bus service.

Sharif has had a habit of visiting to government offices unannounced, which he would inspect clad in a favoured safari suit and hat.

Like his brother, he has also been linked to corruption and graft charges and was jailed for six months after nearly two dozen properties belonging to him and his son were seized during the Imran Khan regime. The trial of the case is still pending and Sharif is out on bail.

Sharif has also courted controversy over his multiple marriages and a property portfolio that includes luxury apartments in London and Dubai.