Muhammad Hamza Shahbaz Sharif

Chief Ministership

During the governance of his father Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza's Chief Ministerial tenure was initiated on 30 April 2022. This occurred subsequent to Hamza's nomination for the position of Chief Minister of Punjab by opposition parties, following the resignation of Usman Buzdar. On the same day, he was sworn in as the 19th Chief Minister of Punjab, a position later deemed legally invalid. Hamza held the majority with 11 seats in the ruling alliance, which was composed of three political parties and four independent candidates.

Following the challenge of his election, the Supreme Court appointed Hamza as the trustee and ordered a re-election for the position of chief minister. This development added a new dimension to the political landscape of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab. In a significant development, Hamza retained the post of the chief minister against Elahi through a three-vote victory. This happened after 10 votes of the PML-Q members were rejected by the deputy speaker under Article 63 (A). However, according to the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Hamza's tenure as chief minister was deemed non-existent, rendering his election and all orders issued during his tenure invalid. Following these events, Elahi was officially declared as the 19th Chief Minister of Punjab. This was due to him securing the majority of votes in the assembly and the subsequent ruling of the Supreme Court.

Personal life It has been suggested Hamza has been married three times. In 2012, he tied the knot with Rabia Hamza. When he submitted his nomination papers in 2018, he included the details of his two wives, Mehrunissah Hamza and Rabia Hamza.

Based on the asset details provided, Hamza is the proprietor of 11 non-agricultural land lots and properties in Lahore, collectively valued at over Rs 136 million. Additionally, he possesses 150 kanals of agricultural land, with an estimated worth of Rs 30 million. His investment portfolio includes shares in 21 companies, encompassing sectors such as sugar and textiles, with a cumulative value nearing Rs 133 million. His liquid assets, comprising bank balance and prize bonds, amount to approximately Rs 4.4 million. By 2018, the declared worth of Hamza's assets had further increased to Rs 411 million.

Controversies Hamza was taken into custody on 11 June 2019 by the National Accountability Bureau due to allegations of corruption. The basis for his arrest was alleged money laundering and possession of assets beyond his known sources of income.

In a separate controversy, the Federal Investigation Agency disclosed the existence of 28 anonymous accounts, which were allegedly used to launder Rs. 16.3 billion, implicating seventeen thousand credit transactions. The agency asserted eleven low-wage employees of the Sharif group were instrumental in carrying out these transactions. Hamza, along with his father Shehbaz, were scheduled for indictment on 10 February 2022. However, the Special Central Court of Lahore postponed the indictment to 18 February 2022.

In the case of the sugar scandal, the Federal Investigation Agency alleged a sum of Rs. 25 billion was laundered using employees of Ramzan Sugar Mills and AI-Arabia Sugar Mills through fictitious accounts. In January 2022, Hamza secured pre-arrest bail in relation to the money laundering and sugar scams. Subsequently, on 24 February 2022, the Lahore High Court granted him bail in a case concerning possession of assets beyond known sources of income.

On 12 May 2022, the National Accountability Bureau made a decision not to proceed with the prosecution of Hamza and his father Shehbaz Sharif. This decision came into effect a month after Shehbaz assumed the role of prime minister, following a vote of no confidence against the former prime minister.

The initiation of these cases can be traced back to the tenure of the former prime minister, Imran Khan. However, with his removal from office, the proceedings were subsequently discontinued. The sequence of events has led to speculation the initiation of these cases was a political move by the former prime minister to keep his political opponents entangled in legal proceedings. The charges against them were initially dismissed by the Special Central Court of Lahore on 12 October 2022. Subsequently, on 20 July 2023, another judge from the same court also ruled in their favour, further affirming their acquittal.