Ch Shujat Hussain and the Story of PML
Chaudhry Shujat Hussain was born on 27th January 1946. He is a senior Pakistani conservative politician hailing from a Punjabi Jutt family of Gujrat who previously served as 16th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 30th June 2004 on a temporary basis during a transitional period to accommodate Shaukat Aziz till 23rd August 2004. Hussain has been party president of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) since 2003 when he followed party founder Mian Muhammad Azhar because of his lack of a parliamentary seat. Hailing from a business-industrialist family in the Punjab Province of Pakistan, Hussain graduated from the FC College University and the Punjab University. After his graduation, Hussain subsequently joined the family business comprising large numbers of industries, textiles, agricultural farms, and sugar and flour mills. He successfully contested in the non-partisan 1985 elections and was appointed as minister of industry in the government of Prime Minister Muhammad Junejo, lasting until 1988. Hussain became a leader and influential conservative figure in the Islamic Democratic Alliance (IDA) between 1988 and 1990. After the Nawaz Sharif government was sacked on October 12, 1999, several PML-N dissidents formed a group under Mian Muhammad Azhar’s leadership. Earlier, Chaudhry Shujat did not join any group but after Nawaz Sharif’s exile, he also joined Mian Azhar and formed the PML (QA) in March 2001. In the general election of October 2002, Chaudhry Shujat was elected as the National Assembly Member from Bhakkar and Gujrat but later vacated his Bhakkar seat and acted as the PML-QA parliamentary party leader in the National Assembly. After Mian Azhar’s resignation, Chaudhry Shujat was elected the president of PML (QA) in January 2003. He was elected as Prime Minister on June 30, 2004, four days after Zafarullah Khan Jamali tendered his resignation from the premiership.
Economic & Social Development Indicators in the Era of PML Under Ch Shujat Hussain
Gross Domestic Product grew from $63 billion in 1999 to $162 billion, at an average of 7%. Per capita income increased to $925 from $435 in 2007. Revenue collection, which was at around Rs. 300 billion in 1999, crossed a record of Rs. 1 trillion. Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), which hovered around Rs. 80 billion during the 1988–99 period, reached Rs. 520 billion. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which was around $300 million in 1999, grew to $6.5 billion. Remittances were at a record of $5.5 billion in 2007. Exports rose from $9 billion to $17 billion in 2007. Foreign Exchange reserves were $16 billion. Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) index rose to 14,000 from 1000 in 1999.