Pakistan Muslim League (Q)

The founder of PML (Q) is Mian Muhammad Azhar. It attracted influential members such as the Chaudhary's of the Gujrat, Pervaiz Elahi, and Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain. Almost 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 and vision ==

The PML(Q) is usually associated with conservatism and Pakistani nationalism and its stated priorities continue to include transforming Pakistan into a welfare state. The PML(Q) also believes in promoting Islamizaton within minority rights and egalitarian values, establishing a conservative democracy, and maintaining a strong relationship between the civilians and the 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 two seats in national assembly, along with eight seats in Punjab assembly and four 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. ==Electoral history==

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. Punjab Assembly elections Sindh Assembly Elections 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). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly elections =='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: ==Electoral history==

National Assembly elections ==See also==