Pakistan Muslim League (Q)

The Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid e Azam Group) ; Pākistān Muslim Līg (Qāf), Acronyms: PML(Q), PML-Q, PMLQ, "Q League" (officially registered as the Pakistan Muslim League) is a political party in Pakistan. As of the 2024 parliamentary election, it has a representation of 5 seats. It previously served as an ally of former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf's government, and led a joint election campaign in 2013 alongside Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Punjab and Balochistan provinces against its rival Pakistan Muslim League (N), a fiscally conservative and centre-right force.

Its leadership and members were once part of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) presided by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. After the 1997 general elections, political differences arose that ultimately led to the creation of a faction inside the party. The dissidents, led by Shujaat Hussain, called for strong and vocal support for the 1999 military coup d'état staged and led by then-Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Pervez Musharraf. In 2002, dissident leaders launched the party, focused on President Pervez Musharraf's government. It later became an integral part of Musharraf's government and appointed their own Prime minister, Shaukat Aziz.

Dissident leader Shujaat Hussain was named party president, and the party's focus turned to drawing in PML-N voters. Further advantage was taken by Musharraf, who granted opportunities to the party with a goal of exclusive support of the government and to diminish the public support of Sharif.

The emergence of PML-N as the largest opposition party after the 2008 elections led to a significant collapse of PML-Q's influence. The party suffered many setbacks thereafter when its membership began to disintegrate after forming a separate bloc with close association with the PML-N, including the Like-Minded and Avami League blocs and second, the former president's bloc. Senior members joined PML-N, while the junior leadership defected to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

In September 2010, PML-Q joined the similar ideological faction, PML-F, forming the Pakistan Muslim League (Pir Pagara), but this was short-lived when in May 2011 the party joined the Yousaf Raza Gillani led-government to fulfill the gap left by its rival PML-N. However, the party announced its resignation from the Parliament, citing the failure of the Pakistan Peoples Party to resolve the energy crisis as the reason, which had direct impact on the federal government. The situation become better by giving relief in fuel prices on 15 June 2012.

History
The founder of PML (Q) is Mian Muhammad Azhar. It attracted influential members such as the Chaudhary's of Gujrat, Pervaiz Elahi and Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain. 75% of its elected members are former "big men" of the Zia ul Haq and Nawaz Sharif governments. PML-N factions broke away in 2001 under NAB's pressure to form PML (Q). They were staunch Musharraf supporters and consider him their mentor. Although, he was sometimes mistakenly cited as a member, he was never part of the party.

Split from PML-N
PML (Q) started as a small group of half a dozen like-minded people in the Nawaz Sharif-led faction of PML-N, including Azhar, Khurshid Kasuri, Syeda Abida Hussain and her husband Syed Fakhar Imam. Azhar remained party president initially before he joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Musharraf asked Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervez Elahi to "galvanise and reinvent the Muslim League". Several well known leaders later joined the PML (Q) while Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was president. PML(Q) launched on 20 August 2002.

Ideology
PML(Q) is usually associated with conservatism and Pakistani nationalism and its stated priorities continue to include transforming Pakistan into a welfare state, promoting Islamizaton within minority rights and egalitarian values, establishing a conservative democracy, maintaining a strong relationship between civilians and military establishment.

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

United PML
In May 2004, various PML factions and other political parties merged with PML-Q to form a united Pakistan Muslim League (PML), thus leaving out only the Nawaz Sharf-led faction. They included former President Farooq Leghari's Millat Party, Jahan Zaib Awan, National Peoples Party, Arbab Ghulam Rahim's Sindh Democratic Alliance, Hamid Nasir Chattha's PML (Junejo), Pir Pagara's PML (Functional), Manzoor Wattoo's PML (Jinnah), and Ijaz-ul-Haq's PML (Zia). Later on, the Pir Pagara led faction called the PML-Functional again parted ways with the united PML, which reduced the number of parties called Pakistan Muslim League to three: PML-Q, PML-N and PML-F.

2008 general elections
The Pakistan Muslim League (Q) contested the February 2008 legislative election with other allied parties including Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan Muslim League (F), and National Peoples Party. It was believed that the party wanted former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to become Prime Minister. The PML (Q) lost major parliamentarians in the 2008 election, gaining only 49 elected seats, defeated by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the PML (N).

2013 general elections
PML (Q) contested the 2013 election in alliance with PPP. The party won only 2 seats in national assembly, along with 8 seats in Punjab assembly and 4 seats in Balochistan assembly. In Sindh and KPK assemblies, they were shut out, cadging only 3.11% of popular vote, relegating it from number two to number six in terms of votes.

2018 general elections
PML (Q) contested the 2018 election. The party won five seats in national assembly, along with ten seats in Punjab assembly and one seat in KPK assembly.

National Assembly Elections

 * PML(Q) later formed a coalition with ruling PPP in 2012.
 * In 2018, PML(Q) formed a coalition with ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Senate Elections

 * No member of PML(Q) was elected as Senator in 2015 and 2018.

Balochistan Assembly Elections

 * In March 2018, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo of PML(Q) was elected as Chief Minister after a successful no-confidence motion against then-CM Sana Ullah Zehri of PML(N).

'Like-minded group' break away
A rift within party leadership emerged with a faction calling themselves the 'Like-minded' bloc, who opposed the Chaudhry's of Gujrat leadership bid.

The new faction 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 includes (former foreign ministers) Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri (appointed as chairman of the steering committee) former information and organising secretary PML-Q Azeem Chaudhary, former member National Assembly Asiya Azeem, Gohar Ayub Khan and Kashmala Tariq.

In February 2010, the mainstream PML-Q was further affected by the resignation of Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq, and the revival of his Pakistan Muslim League (Z) party.

Alliances
Party President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi consistently supported Musharraf. They were faithful to the general in even the most adverse circumstances.

Shujaat Hussain's father Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi was initially a supporter of President Ayub Khan, but when Amir Mohammad Khan favoured some of his local opponents, he parted ways with Ayub's Convention Muslim League. He opposed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and later joined Zia's government. He was killed allegedly by Al-Zulfikar organisation for his support to General Zia. After Zahoor's death, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain continued to support Zia and his Zia-ul-Haq's. Mr. Syed Kabir Ali Wasti senior vice president and chairman media committee of PMLQ was back bone of PMLQand remained very active in politics to make PMLQ sweep 2002 elections.As Syed Kabir Ali Wasti was formerly president of Pakistan Muslim League Qasim group and was close aide to Malik Qasim of Pakistan Muslim League-Qasim group. He supported former prime minister Benazir Bhutto but later Joined Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i-Azam and became Senior Vice President of the party during the government of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

However, he developed differences with the PML-Q and remained inactive in politics for some time and later supported Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. Islamization policies. Once the establishment parted ways with Nawaz Sharif in 1999, Hussain and Zahoor came to the rescue of stability and saw their new party PML (Q) win the general elections of 2002. Both the Chaudhry brothers were accused of financial scandals, including the Cooperative Scandal, sugar scandal and bank loan defaults, but none of them were ever proven or even pursued by the government. Nowadays, the Q-league has been reduced to a minor party as their vote-bank has been devoured by both Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Party leadership
As of 2024, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is president of PML-Q. He was elected unopposed until 2026.

Prominent leaders of PMLQ are as below: