Sharif was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, at the time of the Soviet Union's occupation of the country. The Soviet occupation, the Mujahideen Civil War and the Taliban's initial takeover of Kabul in 1996 forced Sharif (with his parents and siblings) to flee to many countries, including Pakistan, Iran and the Central Asian States. While the numerous journeys weren't easy, they had their advantage: the exposure enabled Sharif to learn about different cultures and speak numerous languages, including Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Urdu, Hindi, Russian, and some Arabic.