Prime Minister of Pakistan
Shehbaz Sharif: Profile, Biography & Career Guide
Pakistan’s 20th prime minister — three-time chief minister of Punjab, PML-N president, and the man behind Punjab’s development decade. Every key fact, verified.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
At a glance
The essential facts about Pakistan’s prime minister in one place.
Years old (2026)
Born 23 September 1951 in Lahore, Punjab.
Chief Minister of Punjab
1997–99, 2008–13 and 2013–18 — the longest-serving CM in Punjab’s history.
Prime Minister
April 2022–August 2023 and from March 2024 — one of the few to hold the office twice.
Party President since 2018
Took over the Pakistan Muslim League (N) leadership on 13 March 2018.
National Assembly seat
Elected MNA from Lahore-X (NA-132) in the February 2024 general election.
Entered politics
First elected to the Punjab Assembly in 1988 — nearly four decades in public life.
Who is Shehbaz Sharif?
A businessman-turned-politician from Lahore’s Sharif family, known for an administrative style colleagues call “Shahbaz speed” — fast project delivery and close monitoring of development work.
The administrator
From industry to government
Shehbaz Sharif entered public life from the family steel business, Ittefaq Group. Elected to the Punjab Assembly in 1988, he rose through provincial and national politics during the 1990s under his elder brother Nawaz Sharif’s governments, becoming Punjab’s chief minister for the first time in February 1997.
The builder
Punjab’s infrastructure decade
Across his 2008–2018 chief ministerships, Punjab saw the Lahore Metrobus, major road and hospital projects, and a reputation for round-the-clock monitoring of bureaucracy. Supporters credit him with visible service delivery; critics questioned project costs and the concentration of power in Lahore.
The opposition leader
Leading from the front bench
After the 2018 general election, Shehbaz Sharif became Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (20 August 2018 – 10 April 2022), heading the PML-N’s parliamentary challenge to the PTI government until the no-confidence vote of April 2022.
The premier
Twice prime minister
Elected prime minister on 11 April 2022 after the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, he led a coalition government until the assembly completed its term on 14 August 2023. Following the February 2024 general election, he took the oath for a second term on 4 March 2024.
Early life, family & education
Born into Lahore’s well-known Sharif business family.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif (also spelt Shahbaz) |
| Date of birth | 23 September 1951, Lahore |
| Parents | Muhammad Sharif (industrialist) and Shamim Akhtar |
| Siblings | Nawaz Sharif (elder brother, three-time PM) and Abbas Sharif |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts, Government College University, Lahore |
| Spouses | Nusrat Shehbaz (married 1973); Tehmina Durrani (married 2003) |
| Children | Four, including Hamza Shehbaz |
| Profession before politics | Businessman — Ittefaq Group |
Political career timeline
Nearly four decades in public office, from provincial assembly to the Prime Minister’s Office.
1988–1990
Entry into politics
Elected to the Punjab Assembly in 1988; moved to the National Assembly in 1990 as his brother’s government took power.
1997–1999
First Punjab government
Became chief minister of Punjab on 20 February 1997. The term ended with the 12 October 1999 military takeover.
2000–2007
Exile
Arrested after the 1999 coup and exiled to Saudi Arabia in 2000; returned to Pakistan in 2007.
2008–2018
Two more Punjab terms
Chief minister again from 8 June 2008 to 26 March 2013, and from 8 June 2013 to 8 June 2018 — over 12 years in total, the longest of any Punjab CM.
2018–2022
Party & opposition leader
PML-N president from 13 March 2018; Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly from August 2018.
2022–2026
Prime minister
PM from 11 April 2022 to 14 August 2023, then again from 4 March 2024 as head of a PML-N–PPP coalition.
The Punjab years: chief minister
Why Shehbaz Sharif’s name is tied to Punjab’s development record.
Transport
Metrobus & roads
The Lahore Metrobus (2013), Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus and the Orange Line metro train project reshaped urban transport in Punjab. A network of new flyovers and signal-free corridors followed across Lahore.
Energy
Power projects
Punjab’s government championed fast-tracked power generation during the 2013–18 term, when load-shedding was a defining national crisis, including LNG-based plants in the province.
Health & education
Schools and hospitals
Daanish schools for underprivileged students, laptop distribution schemes for students, and upgraded district hospitals were flagship social-sector initiatives of his governments.
Style
“Shahbaz speed”
His reputation for dawn inspections, on-the-spot suspensions and tight deadlines became legendary in Punjab’s bureaucracy — praised as efficiency, criticised by opponents as centralisation.
Prime minister of Pakistan
Two terms at the helm of the federation — first leading a multi-party coalition, then a PML-N–PPP alliance.
| Term | Period | How he got there |
|---|---|---|
| First term | 11 April 2022 – 14 August 2023 | Elected after the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan; led a broad coalition government |
| Caretaker gap | August 2023 – February 2024 | Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar served as caretaker prime minister |
| Second term | 4 March 2024 – present | PML-N–PPP coalition after the February 2024 general election; took oath before President Asif Ali Zardari |
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions people ask most about Pakistan’s prime minister.
What is the age of Shehbaz Sharif?
When did Shehbaz Sharif become prime minister?
Who is Shehbaz Sharif’s wife?
What is the relation between Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif?
How many times has Shehbaz Sharif been chief minister of Punjab?
Where can I find official photos of Shehbaz Sharif (Shahbaz Sharif PNG)?
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Feature Pakistan aims for verified, neutral information. Dates and offices are cross-checked against official records; where accounts differ (such as election outcomes), we report the widely cited version.