What happened to Nawaz Sharif after Operation Safed Sagar? Exile from Pak, death penalty threat
Operation Safed Sagar, a Netflix series that depicts the Indian Air Force's efforts during the 1999 Kargil War, has garnered significant attention. In the series, Nawaz Sharif, portrayed by Vinay Pathak, is shown as a peace enthusiast who warmly welcomed the Indian delegation led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. However, in reality, the story took a darker turn.
General Pervez Musharraf, the Chief of Army Staff at the time, secretly ordered Pakistani troops to cross the Line of Control and capture Indian Army posts. Sharif and Musharraf each blamed the other for this move. Following the war's end in July 1999, rumors of a potential military coup began to circulate in Pakistan.
On October 12, 1999, Sharif dismissed Musharraf as army chief, which led to Musharraf's allies mobilizing troops towards Islamabad and holding Sharif under house arrest. Days later, Musharraf, now acting as the country's Chief Executive, suspended the Constitution of Pakistan and took over radio communications and the state broadcaster, announcing Sharif's dismissal.
Sharif faced a 'show trial' for 'kidnapping, attempted murder, hijacking, terrorism, and corruption.' He was sentenced to life imprisonment, and his defense lawyer was killed in Karachi. Sharif also faced trial for tax evasion and was fined $400,000 and sentenced to 14 years in prison. However, due to pressure from US President Bill Clinton and King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, he was not executed and was instead exiled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for 10 years.
During his time in Saudi Arabia, Sharif was allowed to operate a steel mill with a state loan. In 2007, Musharraf pardoned Sharif and allowed his family to join him in Saudi Arabia. However, in 2008, Musharraf barred Sharif from entering Pakistan again after he declared an Emergency. Sharif returned to Pakistan in 2007, and Musharraf went on to become Pakistan's President in 2008, allowing Sharif to return in 2013 for his third term as Prime Minister.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
