Prime Minister of Pakistan
The prime minister of Pakistan ( ur, , romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen cabinet, despite the president of Pak ...
Benazir Bhutto.
He also led a famous intelligence operation named Midnight Jackals, which thwarted a military coup attempt of the elected PPP government in 1990. He was imprisoned in 1996 by the government of
Farooq Leghari
Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari ( ur, ; 29 May 194020 October 2010), was a Pakistani politician who served as the eighth president of Pakistan from 14 November 1993 until resigning on 2 December 1997. He is the first Baloch to have been elected a ...
where he was charged with launching widespread wiretapping against government officials.
In 2002 he was appointed the Senior Vice-President of Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarian. He was defeated in the 2002 general elections by a candidate of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal in his home constituency NA-15(KARAK KPK). He resigned from the PPP in 2007 in protest against political arrangements (In famous NRO deal) of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians with Gen. Musharaf. He joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on 11 November after the meeting with chairman
Imran Khan
Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confiden ...
.
Early life
Masood Sharif Khan Khattak was born on 5 June 1950 to Captain Muhammad Sharif Khan of the Pakistan Navy and Begum Jan both belonging to the same village in Karak District village Billand Kala. Masood grew up in a typical armed forces household with strict discipline, complete with a dinner bell at the dining table. Masood is the eldest of three siblings, one sister and two brothers. Travelling and reading for education were the order of the day at the Sharif household. Formal dining engagements involving the royalty and influential people of Pakistan, Britain and India were a regular feature at the Sharif residence in Karachi and Delhi.
Education
Masood Sharif Khan Khattak was educated in
Delhi Public School
Delhi Public School (also known as DPS) is the largest public school institution in India. The classes are from KG I to Class XII (Science, Arts and Commerce). It is affiliated to CBSE. Delhi Public School may refer to:
* Delhi Public School Socie ...
when his father, Captain Muhammad Sharif, was posted as Pakistan’s first naval attaché in Delhi, India. Later on after getting a Gold Medal from Sindh province, he completed his college at the prestigious
Cadet College Petaro
Cadet College Petaro is a military boarding school in Jamshoro District of the southern province of Sindh in Pakistan; about 20 miles (32 km) from Hyderabad which is under administration of Pakistan Navy.
Its campus occupies over 700 acres ...
, where he was friends with the former President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari. He was also the youngest graduate of the Pakistan Military Academy. He completed his degree in War Studies at Command and Staff College,
Quetta
Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of th ...
in 1978.
Military and civil service
He retired from the army in 1986. He was also appointed the Director-General, Intelligence Bureau from 1993 to 1996. This is where he played a pivotal role in securing Pakistan's borders in Baluchistan and in securing peace in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
. He increased the size of the organisation to three times its original size and revamped its organizational structure and introduced STS Anti-Terrorism training for all officers of the organisation.
Masood Sharif Khan Khattak created and headed a co-operation committee, chaired by the Prime Minister and the Interior Minister. This committee consisted of the Directors General of the
Military Intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...
(MI), the Inter Services Intelligence (
ISI
ISI or Isi may refer to:
Organizations
* Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a classical conservative organization focusing on college students
* Ice Skating Institute, a trade association for ice rinks
* Indian Standards Institute, former name of ...
), Naval Intelligence (NI), Air Force Intelligence (AFI), the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Federal Investigation Agency ( FIA).
He was arrested by the
Farooq Leghari
Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari ( ur, ; 29 May 194020 October 2010), was a Pakistani politician who served as the eighth president of Pakistan from 14 November 1993 until resigning on 2 December 1997. He is the first Baloch to have been elected a ...
government in 1996 and imprisoned on charges of corruption as well as allegations which included widespread wiretapping of opposition politicians, judges and senators.
Released in 1999, he was investigated by the NAB on corruption charges but no cases of corruption were filed against him in any court.
World Economic Forum on East Asia
Masood Sharif spoke at the 2009 World Economic Form on East Asia, held in Seoul, Korea. He spoke on the topic of Asian Flashpoints: Challenges to Security. Among other points, he said "that the divergent interests of leaders of countries and the populace is one reason three of the countries that have nuclear weapons – India, Pakistan and North Korea – also have millions of hungry mouths to feed."
Publications and TV appearances
Masood Sharif wrote regularly in '' The News International'' newspaper of Pakistan. Masood Sharif Khan was also a regular on TV and radio shows across the world including the BBC,
GEO TV
Geo Television Network is a television channel based in Pakistan. It was established in May 2002 and is owned by the Jang Media Group. The channel began its test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning on 1 October ...
,
Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the State media, state-owned news network and International broadcasting, international radio broadcaster of the United States, United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international br ...
and more.
Personal life and death
Khattak died on 29 January 2023, at the age of 72.