ISLAMABAD
Shehbaz Sharif, the man who is most likely to be the next prime minister, is less well known outside his home country but has a reputation at home as a more successful ruler than a politician.
The prime minister's younger brother Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz, 70, led a successful parliamentary opposition petition to overthrow Imran Khan in a no-confidence vote on Sunday morning when Imran Khan's supporters tried for hours to block.
Shehbaz, unlike Nakaz, has a good relationship with the military, which usually controls foreign policy and defense in a 220-million-strong nuclear war-torn country.
No prime minister in Pakistan has completed five full years since Britain gained independence in 1947. The removal of Imran Khan was an opportunity to start anew, Shehbaz, who had replaced Imran Khan in a parliamentary hearing, told parliament shortly after the vote.
"A new light has begun ... this alliance will rebuild Pakistan," he said.
Shehbaz, part of the Sharif dynasty, is best known for his straightforward “do-it-yourself” style, which was displayed there as prime minister of Punjab province, working closely with China on Beijing-sponsored projects.
He also said in a conversation last week that good relations with the United States were crucial to Pakistan for better or worse, in stark contrast to Imran Khan's recently strained relations with Washington.
There are still a few steps to go before Shehbaz Sharif becomes the 23rd prime minister of the country, which does not include interim leaders, although the opposition party has repeatedly indicated he is the only candidate.
Taking this role, he faces immediate challenges, not least Pakistan's deteriorating economy, plagued by high inflation, inflation, and rapid depreciation of foreign exchange reserves.
Analysts also say Shehbaz Sharif will not act in complete freedom as he will have to work in partnership with other opposition groups and his brother.
Nawaz has been living in London for two years since his release from prison. serving a sentence for corruption, receiving treatment.
'Punjab speed'
As Punjab's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif planned and implemented a number of major infrastructure projects, including Pakistan's first modern transportation system in Lahore.
According to local media, the outgoing Chinese ambassador wrote to Shehbaz Sharif last year praising his performance of the "Punjab Speed" of projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) program.
The ambassador also said that Shehbaz Sharif and his party would be China's allies in the government or in the opposition.
In Afghanistan, Islamabad is under international pressure to encourage the Taliban to meet its human rights obligations while trying to limit instability there.
Unlike Imran Khan, who has always been critical of India's Hindu Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Sharif political regime has been embroiled in a bitter feud with a neighbor armed with nuclear weapons, Pakistan has fought three wars.
With regard to his alliance with the powerful army, Shehbaz Sharif has long played the role of the "good cop" and "bad cop" of the community - the latter of which has had several civil strifes with the army.
Shehbaz was born in Lahore into a wealthy industrial family and educated in the area. After that, he got into the family business and jointly owns a Pakistani steel company.
He entered politics in Punjab, became its minister for the first time in 1997 before being caught up in the national political upheaval, and was arrested following a military coup. He was deported to Saudi Arabia in 2000.
Shehbaz returned from exile in 2007 to continue his political career, also in Punjab.
He became involved in national politics when he became the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz PML-N party after Nakaz was found guilty in 2017 on charges of concealing property related to the revelations of the Panama Papers.
The Sharif family and supporters say the cases are politically motivated.
Both brothers have faced numerous charges of corruption in the National Accountability Bureau, including under Prime Minister Imran Khan, but Shehbaz has not yet been found guilty.
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