Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Toppled by Corruption Case
By SALMAN MASOODJULY 28, 2017
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Nawaz Sharif, the tycoon and party leader who helped define a turbulent era of Pakistani politics,
stepped down as prime minister on Friday after the Supreme Court ruled that corruption allegations had disqualified him.
Announced by the five-member Supreme Court, the verdict on Friday caps more than a year of high political drama, breathless court proceedings
and a piercing investigation into the finances of the Sharif family.
The governing political party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, must now choose an interim prime
minister to replace Mr. Sharif until the next general election, which is scheduled for mid-2018.
“Whoever they bring will be a weak prime minister, as Nawaz Sharif would want to
have someone who is more or less in line with his thinking,” Mr. Rizvi said.
“I did not expect Nawaz Sharif to go scot-free,” said Hasan Askari Rizvi, a prominent political analyst who is based in Lahore.
Mr. Sharif’s political party nonetheless hopes that his achievements can bring it
another electoral success next year even if Mr. Sharif cannot run for office.
Political insiders say there are several possible contenders to replace Mr. Sharif as prime minister in the immediate interim.