Suleman Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistani sugar-sector businessman

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Suleman Shehbaz Sharif is a Pakistani businessman and the son of Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was born in Lahore and took a degree in politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford. He took over the family business in 2008, and he says the sugar industry is its flagship.

Early life and background

Sharif was born in Lahore. He grew up in a large joint family, and he says the family played cricket and went riding together. He attended Aitchison College. [1]

Education

Sharif graduated from Government College. He then took a degree in politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford. He says the degree focused on South Asian politics. [1]

The family business

Sharif's grandfather migrated from Amritsar, India, and the family business has roots in 1937. By the 1970s the business was known as Ittefaq Steel Works and Ittefaq Foundry, which Sharif calls a giant in the region. He says Ittefaq was a steel melting unit that made defence and agriculture equipment, and that it had 10,000 permanent employees in the 1970s. He says the business was nationalised because of its size. [1]

His grandfather set up six textile mills while Bhutto was prime minister. Sharif says his grandfather decided to stay in Pakistan after the nationalisation and did not leave the country. Zia reversed the nationalisation policy, and the family got Ittefaq Foundry back. Sharif says his grandfather founded Sharif Medical City and Ittefaq Hospital in Lahore. [1]

Career

Sharif says he has always been interested in politics and always wanted to be part of the political journey of his elders. The family decided that Hamza would go into politics, and Sharif looked after the family business. He took over the family business in 2008. He says the family is a business family first and entered politics later, and that he has never held public office, never contested an election and has always been a businessman. [1]

The Ittefaq family later divided, and each branch runs its own businesses. Sharif says the Sharif family's corporate assets have been divided amicably, and he looks after the Shehbaz Sharif family side of the business. He says the family inherited a sugar plant. [1]

Sharif says the sugar industry is the flagship of the business. He moved into agri-based businesses, including animal feed, and set up a corporate farm in 2009. He says the business went on to set up a downstream processing plant and a fresh milk brand, which he says is still in the market and doing very well. [1]

Sharif says the business set up a bagasse-based power plant after the government of the time approved it. He says the plant runs on sugarcane waste and feeds the national grid. He bought a plant from banks around 2017-18 because the business needed more bagasse and crushing capacity. [1]

Cases and allegations

Sharif says the cases against the family were political, and that NAB and the FIA filed cases. He says that when Khan's government took office in 2018, his family was politically on its hit list. He says his father and brother were arrested. [1]

Sharif says he was in England with his family. He says a letter was written asking for him to be investigated over alleged money laundering of 500 billion rupees, and that the matter went on for about 19 months in England. He says the accounts were frozen on the request of the Government of Pakistan, headed at that time by Prime Minister Imran Khan. [1]

Sharif says the NCA told the court there was no evidence of corruption, kickbacks or proceeds of crime, and withdrew the case. He says he was told his accounts were being released and that he would not claim the costs incurred over 18 months. He says he was exonerated. He says every allegation against him concerned business transactions, and that to this day not a penny of public money or proceeds of crime has been established. He says the family filed a defamation suit, and the Daily Mail apologised. [1]

Views

Sharif describes the politics of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif as peaceful times that he remembers vividly. He says constituency politics was fierce and aggressive but did not cross lines. He says the 1999 coup removed an elected democratic government. He says Pakistan should first put its own house in order. [1]

Sharif says he personally favours dynasty in politics and openly admits it. He says voters choose their leaders in elections and that a political system should be transparent and fair. He says both politicians and the establishment have made mistakes, and that politicians who run genuine businesses in Pakistan gain an advantage. [1]

Sharif says he agrees with the free market mechanism, and that the government cannot regulate one end of a market and leave the other end open. He says many sugar mills were owned by politicians until a few years ago, and that sugar millers are now efficient entrepreneurs. [1]

Sharif says load shedding in Pakistan was 18 hours a day when they formed the government in 2013, that 11,000 megawatts were installed, and that they left reserves of roughly 18.5 billion dollars. He says the crisis was a political crisis, not a bust, and that the 2017 regime change is where the crisis originated. He says the core problem is cross-subsidies, and that the delay in the IMF programme is costing Pakistan. [1]

Sharif says the exchange rate should not be controlled artificially, that the government's size and regulations must be reduced, and that the poor need to be brought into a social safety net. He says about 40 to 50 per cent of Pakistan's population is below the poverty line. He puts a privatisation programme first among his proposals. He says all parties should sign a charter on the economy in Parliament and follow it for 10 to 20 years, and that Pakistan will be a global player in 15 to 20 years. [1]

Personal life

Sharif says he was outside Pakistan for four years. He says he lived in England for four years and had business opportunities there. He says he returned to Pakistan because he has faith in the country. [1]

Timeline

1937
The family business has its roots in this year.[1]
1970s
The business is known as Ittefaq Steel Works and Ittefaq Foundry and has 10,000 permanent employees, according to Sharif.[1]
1999
Sharif says a coup removed an elected democratic government.[1]
2008
Sharif takes over the family business.[1]
2009
Sharif sets up a corporate farm.[1]
2017
Sharif says the regime change of this year is where the crisis originated.[1]
2017-18
Sharif buys a plant from banks to add bagasse and crushing capacity.[1]
2018
Sharif says Khan's government took office and his family was politically on its hit list.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2023-02-22 Suleman Sharif: 'Pakistan treated wealth creation as a sin' Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Suleman Shehbaz Sharif?

Suleman Shehbaz Sharif is a Pakistani businessman and the son of Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was born in Lahore and took a degree in politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford. He took over the family business in 2008.[1]

What does Suleman Shehbaz Sharif do?

Suleman Shehbaz Sharif is a businessman who took over the family business in 2008. He says the sugar industry is the flagship of the business. He has also moved into agri-based businesses, including animal feed, and set up a corporate farm in 2009.[1]

Where did Suleman Shehbaz Sharif study?

Suleman Shehbaz Sharif attended Aitchison College and graduated from Government College. He then took a degree in politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford. He says the degree focused on South Asian politics.[1]

Where is Suleman Shehbaz Sharif from?

Suleman Shehbaz Sharif was born in Lahore and grew up in a large joint family. His grandfather migrated from Amritsar, India, and the family business has roots in 1937.[1]

Who is Suleman Shehbaz Sharif's father?

Suleman Shehbaz Sharif is the son of Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Sharif says his father and brother were arrested. He says the cases against the family were political.[1]

Who founded the family business Suleman Shehbaz Sharif runs?

Suleman Shehbaz Sharif's grandfather migrated from Amritsar, India, and the family business has roots in 1937. Sharif took over the family business in 2008. By the 1970s it was known as Ittefaq Steel Works and Ittefaq Foundry.[1]

What businesses does Suleman Shehbaz Sharif run?

Suleman Shehbaz Sharif says the sugar industry is the flagship of the family business. He moved into agri-based businesses, including animal feed, and set up a corporate farm in 2009. He says the business also set up a bagasse-based power plant that feeds the national grid.[1]

What has Suleman Shehbaz Sharif said about the money laundering allegation?

Suleman Shehbaz Sharif says a letter was written asking for him to be investigated over alleged money laundering of 500 billion rupees, and that the matter went on for about 19 months in England. He says the NCA told the court there was no evidence of corruption, kickbacks or proceeds of crime, and withdrew the case. He says he was exonerated.[1]

References

  1. Suleman Sharif: 'Pakistan treated wealth creation as a sin' . Thought Behind Things , 2023-02-22.
Show the source passages (80 statements)
  1. He was born in Lahore. Toh I was born in Lahore, this beautiful city
  2. He is a Pakistani businessman and the son of Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Suleman Shehbaz Sharif is a Pakistani businessman, and the son of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
  3. He attended Aitchison College. I went to Aitchison College, then I went to Government College
  4. He graduated from Government College. So Government College se maine apni graduation ki and then I went to Oxford
  5. He took a degree in politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford. then I went to Oxford jahan pe maine degree ki in politics, philosophy and economics
  6. He says his Oxford degree focused on South Asian politics. maine jo apni degree ki woh South Asian politics mein ki
  7. He says he has always been interested in politics. No, I was always interested in politics and I am still interested in politics.
  8. He says he always wanted to be part of the political journey of his elders. I always wanted to be a part of the political journey jo mere buzurg hain
  9. The family decided that Hamza would go into politics, and he looked after the family business. hamari family mein decision hua ke Hamza sahab jo hain woh siyasat mein jayenge aur phir maine socha ke unko support karun and then somebody had to pay the bills. So I looked after the family business.
  10. He grew up in a large joint family. Mashallah you know I have beautiful memories so I belong to this beautiful family jo bahut badi joint family system tha hamara
  11. He says his family played cricket and went riding together. Hum sab ikathe cricket khelte the aur riding karte the
  12. He describes the politics of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif as peaceful times that he remembers vividly. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto aur Mian Nawaz Sharif ki politics thi aur woh mujhe aisi yaad hai jaise kal ki baat hai. So those were very interesting times, those were very peaceful times.
  13. He says constituency politics was fierce and aggressive but did not cross lines. Constituency politics thi aur badi fierce thi, aggressive thi but line cross nahi hoti thi
  14. He says the 1999 coup removed an elected democratic government. jab 1999 mein coup ho gaya Pakistan ke andar aur ek elected democratic government jo hai woh usko nikala gaya
  15. He says Pakistan should first put its own house in order. I think we should first put our own house in order
  16. His grandfather migrated from Amritsar, India, and the family business has roots in 1937. my grandfather you know migrated from Amritsar, India aur unhone hamare family business jo hai woh setup kiya and you know we find its roots in 1937
  17. By the 1970s the business was known as Ittefaq Steel Works and Ittefaq Foundry, which he calls a giant in the region. Aur phir by 1970s jo hai Ittefaq Group it was known as Ittefaq Steel Works and Ittefaq Foundry was a giant in this region
  18. He says Ittefaq was a steel melting unit that made defence and agriculture equipment. Ittefaq jo thi woh steel melting unit tha, defense equipment banati thi, agriculture equipment banati thi
  19. He says Ittefaq had 10,000 permanent employees in the 1970s. 1970s 10,000 log jo the permanent employ the Ittefaq Foundries ke aur Ittefaq Steel Works ke
  20. He says the business was nationalised because of its size. Toh woh isiliye nationalize hui ke uska size bahut bada tha
  21. His grandfather set up six textile mills while Bhutto was prime minister. Bhutto sahab was the Prime Minister of Pakistan and my grandfather at that time put up six textile mills
  22. He says his grandfather decided to stay in Pakistan after the nationalisation. my grandfather decided to stay in this country
  23. Zia reversed the nationalisation policy, and the family got Ittefaq Foundry back. Zia sahab came toh woh nationalization ki policy reverse hui aur Ittefaq Foundry phir hamari family ko wapas mili
  24. He took over the family business in 2008. maine basically 2008 mein I took the reins
  25. The Ittefaq family later divided, and each branch runs its own businesses. Woh phir Ittefaq family jo hai uski division ho gayi, sari families jo hain woh woh alag ho gayi, unke apne apne businesses ho gaye
  26. He looks after the Shehbaz Sharif family side of the business. and so I look after the Shahbaz Sharif family side of the business now
  27. He says the Sharif family's corporate assets have been divided amicably. hamare bhi jo corporate assets hain woh amicably sab divide ho chuke hain
  28. He says the family inherited a sugar plant. So we inherited a sugar plant basically
  29. He moved into agri-based businesses, including animal feed. humne thoda sa venture kiya towards agri-based businesses and I went into animal feed industry
  30. He set up a corporate farm in 2009. humne phir ek farm setup kiya in 2009, a corporate farm
  31. He says the business went on to set up a downstream processing plant and a fresh milk brand. aage humne downstream processing plant lagaya, brand banaya ek fresh milk ka
  32. He says the fresh milk brand is still in the market and doing very well. Anhaar ke naam se. Right. Aur that's still in the market and it's doing mashallah doing very well
  33. He says the business set up a bagasse-based power plant after the government of the time approved it. us waqt ki government ne usko approve kiya toh humne phir yeh bagasse based power plant jo hai usko setup kiya
  34. He says the bagasse plant runs on sugarcane waste and feeds the national grid. yani ganne ke phok se woh bijli banti hai aur woh national grid mein jati hai
  35. He bought a plant from banks around 2017-18 because the business needed more bagasse and crushing capacity. humein bagasse zyada chahiye thi, crushing capacity chahiye thi toh phir maine ek plant jo hai bankon se around 2017-18 humne woh buy kiya
  36. He says the sugar industry is the flagship of the business. So our flagship is sugar industry
  37. He says the family is a business family first and entered politics later. Maine aapko apna bataya ke hum pehle business family hain aur baad mein hum politics mein aaye
  38. He says politicians who run genuine businesses in Pakistan gain an advantage. politicians ka agar business genuine business hai is mulk mein toh yeh ek advantage hai
  39. He says he agrees with the free market mechanism. So I agree with the free market mechanism
  40. He says the government cannot regulate one end of a market and leave the other end open. Yeh nahi ho sakta ke aap ek end ko aap regulate karein aur dusre end ko aap chhod dein
  41. He says many sugar mills were owned by politicians until a few years ago. aaj se kuch saal pehle tak bahut si sugar mills jo thin they were owned by the politicians
  42. He says sugar millers are now efficient entrepreneurs. ab bahut achhe aur progressive aur efficient entrepreneurs jo hain woh sugar millers hain
  43. He says the cases against the family were political. Aur woh saare ke saare jo the woh bilkul political cases bane hain, political basis pe bane
  44. He says that when Khan's government took office in 2018, his family was politically on its hit list. 2018 mein jab Khan sahab ki government ban gayi, woh Prime Minister ban gaye to hamari family unki hit list pe thi politically
  45. He says NAB and the FIA filed cases. NAB ne cases bana diye, FIA ne cases bana diye Pakistan ke andar
  46. He says his father and brother were arrested. mere walid ko arrest kiya, mere bhai ko arrest kiya
  47. He says he was in England with his family. To main England tha apni family ke saath
  48. He says a letter was written asking for him to be investigated over alleged money laundering of 500 billion rupees. Unhone likha ke ji aap yeh Suleman Sharif ko investigate karein, inhone money laundering ki hai 500 billion rupees ki
  49. He says the matter went on for about 19 months in England. And that went on for about 19 months in England.
  50. He says the accounts were frozen on the request of the Government of Pakistan, headed at that time by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Un accounts ko unhone freeze kar diya on the request of Government of Pakistan headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan at that time
  51. He says the NCA told the court there was no evidence of corruption, kickbacks or proceeds of crime, and withdrew the case. NCA ne khud jaake court mein kaha ke ji there is no evidence of corruption, kickbacks, proceed of crime aur hum yeh case jo hai woh wapas le rahe hain
  52. He says he was told his accounts were being released and that he would not claim the costs incurred over 18 months. jo aapke hum accounts release kar rahe hain aur 18 months mein jo aapki cost aayi hai woh aap humse claim nahi karenge
  53. He says he was exonerated. woh Allah ke fazal se jo hai hamein exonerate kiya
  54. He says the family filed a defamation suit, and the Daily Mail apologised. humne defamation suit file kar diya. Usme jo hai woh mail online jo thi, mail daily mail, unhone maafi maangi
  55. He says he has never held public office, never contested an election, and has always been a businessman. I was never a public office holder. I never ran for any election. I was always a businessman.
  56. He says every allegation against him concerned business transactions. Aur jitni allegations inhone lagayi, woh saari ki saari business transactions thi
  57. He says that to this day not a penny of public money or proceeds of crime has been established. ek penny ki, ek dime bhi public money ya proceed of crime establish aaj tak nahi ho saki
  58. He says he was outside Pakistan for four years. Mujhe 4 saal Pakistan se bahar rehna pada
  59. He says he lived in England for four years and had business opportunities there. main chaar saal England mein raha, mere paas har qisam ki opportunity thi
  60. He says he returned to Pakistan because he has faith in the country. Main wapas aa gaya because we have faith in this country
  61. He says Pakistan will be a global player in 15 to 20 years. Pakistan will be a global player inshaAllah in 15 to 20 years
  62. He says his grandfather did not leave Pakistan after the nationalisation. nationalization ke baad woh mulk chhod ke nahi gaye
  63. He says he personally favours dynasty in politics and openly admits it. Main personally I am in favor of dynasty and I openly admit it
  64. He says voters choose their leaders in elections. Jab voting ho rahi hai, voters ne choose karna hai
  65. He says a political system should be transparent and fair. Apka system transparent aur fair hona chahiye
  66. He says load shedding in Pakistan was 18 hours a day when they formed the government in 2013. Pakistan ke andar 18-18 ghante load shedding thi jab humne 2013 ki government li
  67. He says 11,000 megawatts were installed. 11,000 megawatt install hua
  68. He says they left reserves of roughly 18.5 billion dollars. 20 billion dollar ke reserves hum chhod ke gaye. Roughly about 18 and a half billion dollars ke reserves
  69. He says the crisis was a political crisis, not a bust. Woh koi thode reserves the aur yeh jo crisis trigger hua jiski aap baat karte hain ke ji woh bust ho gayi, no. It was a political crisis.
  70. He says the 2017 regime change is where the crisis originated. jo regime change hai woh 2017 mein hua aur main baar baar yeh baat karta hoon. Aur yeh saara crisis hi wahan se originate hua
  71. He says the core problem is cross-subsidies. jo problem hai asal woh yeh hai cross subsidies ka
  72. He says the delay in the IMF programme is costing Pakistan. jo IMF ka program hai jo delay ho raha hai jisko jaldi sign hona chahiye, main manta hun is baat ko, woh delay humein cost kar raha hai
  73. He says the exchange rate should not be controlled artificially. yes exchange rate jo hai usko apko artificially control bilkul nahi karna chahiye
  74. He says about 40 to 50 per cent of Pakistan's population is below the poverty line. Is mulk ki 40 se 50 feesad abadi poverty line se neeche hai
  75. He says the poor need to be brought into a social safety net. Yahan pe apko ghareeb aadmi ko social net mein lana parega
  76. He says the government's size and regulations must be reduced. Number two, I think apko apna jo hai woh government ki size aur regulations ko apko kam karna parega
  77. He puts a privatisation programme first among his proposals. Privatization program number one
  78. He says all parties should sign a charter on the economy in Parliament and follow it for 10 to 20 years. Lekin economy ek aisa area hai, I think, jahan pe sab ko saath Parliament ke andar baith ke ek charter sign hona chahiye aur woh phir agle 10-20 saal usko follow karna chahiye
  79. He says both politicians and the establishment have made mistakes. jahan pe siyasatdanon se galtiyan hui, toh establishment se bhi galtiyan hui
  80. He says his grandfather founded Sharif Medical City and Ittefaq Hospital in Lahore. Lahore ke sabse do bare hospitals jo mere grandfather ne, one of the largest hospitals banaye, Sharif Medical City, Ittefaq Hospital