Pakistan Muslim League

Chair Person
Shujaat Hussain
Party Flag
Party Symbol



History and Background
The Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) (PML (Q)) traces its roots back to the All-India Muslim League (as does the PML (N)), founded in 1906. Using the name of the Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Jinnah, who founded the original Pakistan Muslim League in 1948, the PML (Q) lays claim to being the faction most associated with the original group. At the time of Pakistani independence in 1947 the Muslim League was the only major party in Pakistan and claimed the allegiance of almost every Muslim in the country. However, with the deaths of its two principal leaders, Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan, shortly after independence and its central goal of creating Pakistan achieved, the party failed to develop a coherent, post-independence ideology. The Muslim League gradually came under the influence of West Pakistani, and particularly Punjabi, landlords and bureaucrats more concerned with increasing their personal influence than with building a strong national organization.
Early Years

The PML (Q) was the undisputed "King's Party" of General Musharraf's administration. Led by Mian Azhar and later Shujaat Hussain, the party was backed by General Musharraf's government and has been heavily promoted by the Army in Punjab and in Sindh. The PML (Q) started as a small group of half a dozen like-minded people in the PML, including Mian Azhar, Khurshid Kasuri, Abida Hussain and Fakhr Imam in defiance of Nawaz Sharif and his family's monopoly on the party. The group expanded and took the form of the PML (Q). In 2000 and 2001, the Musharraf administration pressured local PML-N leaders and former legislators to defect and join the PML (Q). The majority obliged. In the 2000-2001 non-party local government elections, most of the councilors and district nazims belonged to 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.

In Power
During the 20 October 2002 legislative elections, the party won 25.7% votes and 126 out of 342 members.

Some economic and social development indicators shown below .

1:- Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which was $ 63 billion in 1999, reached $ 162 billion, grown at an average of 7% .

2:- Per capita income increased to $ 925 from $ 435.

3:- Revenue collection, which was at around Rs.300 billion in 1999, crossed a record Rs.1 trillion, creating more fiscal space for

4:- Development expenditures.

5:- Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), which hovered around Rs.80 billion during the 1988-99 period, reached Rs.520 billion.

6:- Foreign direct investment (FDI), which was around $ 300 million in 1999, peaked to $ 6.5 billion.

7:- Remittances were at a record $ 5.5 billion.

8:- Exports rose from $ 9 billion to $ 17 billion.

9:- Foreign Exchange reserves $ 16 billion.

10:- Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) index rose to 14,000 points from 1000 points in 1999.

However opponents point all the achievements where over 10 years, at time of Strong Global economic growth,Low oil prices and relative to other countries the achievements where average, particularly since a massive Balance of Payments crises began in 2008.
Current Status

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is current President of PML-Q. He was elected unopposed, and Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed is the Secretary General of PML who was also elected unopposed.


Recently, a growing rift within the leadership of the party has emerged another faction within the ambit of the Muslim League calling themselves the 'Like-minded' bloc, who are seriously opposed to the recent Chaudhry's of Gujrat leadership bid.

Even though its early days for this new faction, they have announced that Hamid Nasir Chattha would be the Chairman, Salim Saifullah the President, and Humayun Akhtar Khan the Secretary General. Other prominent leaders to join this parallel set-up amongst others are (former Foreign Ministers) Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri (appointed as Chairman Steering Committee) and Gohar Ayub Khan. Additional prominent leaders include Kashmala Tariq as well. A meeting of the group was held in August 2009 in Peshawar by members including Salim Saifullah Khan, Hamid Nasir Chattha, Humayun Akhtar Khan, Gohar Ayub Khan, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, Muhammad Ali Durrani, Sumera Malik, Lala Nisar, Kashmala Tariq, Iqbal Dar and Omar Ayub Khan.