BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will pay an official visit to China from May 23 to 26.
Born in 1951 in Lahore, Punjab province, Shehbaz is the younger brother of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Since 1988, he has been elected to the Punjab provincial assembly three times. In 1990, he was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan.
He has long governed Punjab Province and was elected Chief Minister of Punjab in 1997, 2008 and 2013. In March 2018, he was elected chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and in August 2018, he became the opposition leader in the National Assembly of Pakistan.
In April 2022, he assumed office as Pakistan's 23rd prime minister, serving until August 2023. On March 4, 2024, he was sworn in as the country's 24th prime minister.
He is known for his friendly stance toward China and has paid multiple visits to the country.
Shehbaz is married and has two sons and two daughters. ■
