Ex-Pak PM Nawaz Sharif gets a new govt ‘job’. Daughter Maryam hires him to ‘revive’ heritage of THIS city

Former prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif has got a new job. The country's longest-serving PM has now been tasked to supervise the restoration of colonial-era buildings in Lahore.

The three-time former prime minister of Pakistan was appointed patron-in-chief of the Lahore Authority for Heritage Revival (LAHR) by Maryam Nawaz, the chief minister of Pakistan's Punjab province and Nawaz's daughter.

In the new role, Nawaz Sharif, 75, will now oversee the restoration of the old city of Lahore. To be precise, Nawaz Sharif will look after the restoration of scores of colonial-era buildings in Lahore. The Punjab government notified earlier this week that Nawaz Sharif will be the patron-in-chief of LAHR.

Nawaz Sharif is the president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N.

Jailed former PM of Pakistan Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was quick to mock Nawaz Sharif and congratulate him for getting a government "job".

Restoration of old buildings

"Nawaz Sharif was living a retired life after the humiliating defeat of his party in the 2024 elections. Imran Khan's mandate was stolen and given to Nawaz and Zardari parties – PML-N and PPP. Now, Nawaz's daughter Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz gave him some work to do. It will be better for Nawaz's health to keep himself busy in some work like restoration of old buildings as a retired politician," senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shaukat Basra was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Nawaz Sharif served as the 12th prime minister of Pakistan. He served three non-consecutive terms, first from 1990 to 1993, then from 1997 to 1999 and later from 2013 to 2017. He is the longest-serving prime minister of Pakistan, having served more than 9 years across three tenures. Each term ended in his ousting.

Nawaz Sharif's brother, Shehbaz Sharif is the current Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Basra said that Nawaz had returned from London in 2023 to become prime minister for the fourth time, but the military establishment chose his younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, as a "perfect puppet" for the job, leaving the elder Sharif to lick his wounds.

"Now, Nawaz Sharif will be seen monitoring the old buildings of the walled city of Lahore," Basra said sarcastically.

Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan in October 23 after four years of self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom. He returned home after he was granted a protective bail in the graft cases against him and the accountability court also decided to suspend his arrest warrant.

(With PTI inputs)