*ISLAMABAD – An anti-corruption court on Friday convicted ousted PrimeMinister Nawaz Sharif in absentia and sentenced him to 10 years in prison,in what seemed to be the end of a long and tumultuous political career ofthe three-time leader.*
Nawaz, 68, is in London with his daughter, Maryam, was convicted afterfailing to prove a legal source of income for buying several luxury flatsin the 1990s. Maryam was also convicted and sentenced to seven years inprison.
Nawaz was disqualified from office last year by the Supreme Court, whichdeclared him “dishonest” for not disclosing a separate monthly income froma company owned by his son.
Here are some of the highlights of Nawaz Sharif’s career:
*1949* – Nawaz Sharif is born into a Kashmiri family of industrialists inLahore. He later graduates with a law degree from Punjab University andgoes to work in the family steel business
*1976* – Enters politics, joining the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) afterthe Sharif family steel business was nationalised under the government ofZulfikar Ali Bhutto, the beginning of a long political rivalry between thefamilies.
*1981* – Joins the Punjab provincial cabinet as finance minister, becomingPunjab’s chief minister in 1985. The PML later split and Nawaz formed thePakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
*1990* – First elected prime minister.
*1993* – Removed as prime minister by Pakistan’s president. He isreinstated by Supreme Court but then resigns under pressure and his partyloses elections to the Pakistan People’s Party of Benazir Bhutto, daughterof Zulfikar Bhutto.
*1997* – Elected prime minister for second time. During his term, Pakistansuccessfully tests nuclear weapons in response to regional rival India’satomic programme.
*1999* – Overthrown in a military coup by General Pervez Musharraf, thecountry’s fourth army takeover since independence in 1947. After the coup,he was convicted of corruption and given a life sentence for hijacking overan incident when he ordered Musharraf’s plane not to land in Islamabad.
*2000-2007* – Allowed to go into exile in Saudi Arabia in 2000 amid reportsof a deal with the military, he was given a presidential pardon the day hisfamily left.
*2007* – Returns from exile to contest elections the next year as part of apolitical deal that ended Musharraf’s military rule.
*2008* – Loses election to the party of Benazir Bhutto, who wasassassinated ahead of the polls.
*2013* – Elected prime minister for third time. The PML-N sweeps back topower in an election the gives its allies a solid National Assemblymajority.
*April 4, 2016* – The leaked Panama Papers show involvement of Shariffamily in offshore companies including two used to buy luxury homes inLondon.
*Oct. 28, 2016* – Imran Khan threatens to paralyse Islamabad with a“lockdown” of street protests unless demands for an independentinvestigation into the Panama revelations are met. Nawaz denies anywrongdoing.
*Nov. 2, 2016* – Supreme Court agrees to set up a judicial commission toprobe corruption allegations against Nawaz, stemming from Panama Papersleaks. Imran backs down from lockdown threat.
*July 28, 2017* – Supreme Court declares Nawaz disqualified from office fornot declaring income from a company in United Arab Emirates, which was notin original Panama Papers revelations. The court also orders the NationalAccountability Bureau (NAB) to open a criminal trial into ownership of theLondon flats along with several other Panama Papers revelations.
*April 13, 2018* – The Supreme Court further rules Nawaz is banned frompolitical office for life.
*July 6, 2018* – The NAB court convicts Nawaz of corruption and sentenceshim in absentia to 10 years in prison.