Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML Q) Profile

Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML Q)

Chair Person	Party Flag	Party Symbol

Shujaat Hussain

Introduction

The Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam), or PML-Q is a centrist political party in Pakistan, derived from the original Pakistan Muslim League which had laid foundation of the state of Pakistan. It is widely considered as a centrist to conservative party. Although, in the abbrevation PML-Q, Q stands for Quaid-e-Azam or Quaid-e-Azam Group, party's critics call it Qainchi and somestimes Qainchi Group.Qainchi is Urdu word for scissors which refers to the fact most of the members of PML-Q left PML-N to join it.

History and Background

PML-Q was formed in 2001, when the Pakistan Muslim League fractured into several parties, of which the PML-Q was the smallest in terms of public support. The party strongly supports President Pervez Musharraf. Most members of the original PML now are part of the PML-Q.

At the last legislative elections, 20 October 2002, the party won 25.7% of the popular vote and 69 out of 272 elected members.

PML(Q) is considered major supporter of President Gen. Musharraf policies.

Early Years

Ch. Shujaat Hussain is current President of PML(Q). He was elected un-opposed. Syed Mushahid Hussain is current Secretary General of PML(Q) he was also elected un-opposed. Zafarullah Khan Jamali wanted to compete for Sec. General seat but due to pressure from NAB & Army he could not succeed.

In Power

Most of the landowners are now a part of this party. Most of these landowners have never sit in the Opposition and get into any party which comes into power. It would be hard to call this party a centrist party because the party does not have any ideology. Most of the members were with General Zia when he was trying to impose islamic (or so he believed) laws in Pakistan but they strongly supported General Musharraf when he tried to revert to 'enlightened moderation'. So much so that General Zia's son Ejaz-ul-Haq is also a supporter of General Musharraf. The party also fully supported the Afghan jihad against the Soviet invasion but now its leaders call jihad a kind of terrorism.

Current Status

The President of the party Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and his cousin Chaudhry Pervez Illahi are the biggest supporters of the Musharraf regime. Shujaat's father Chaudhry Zahoor Illahi was a supporter of General Ayub Khan but when Ayub's governor Khan of Kalabagh favoured some of his local opponents, he parted ways with Ayub's Convension League. He opposed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and joined Zia's government. He was killed allegedly by Al Zulfikar organisation for his support to General Zia. After his death Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain continued to support Zia and his islamisation policy. He remained in PML till this party remained the favourite of the military establishment. One the establishment parted ways with Nawaz Sharif, Shujaat and Pervez Illahi came to the rescue of the military regime of General Musharraf and saw their new party PML(Q) win the general elections of 2002. Both have been accused of many financial scandals including the Cooperative Scandal, sugar scandal and bank loan defaults.