“Sach Tou Ye Hai” by Ch Shujat Hussain

Chaudhry Shujat Hussain is a golden chapter of the political history of Pakistan. He made many declarations in his book “Sach Tou Yeh Hai”. These declarations include the political history of Pakistan as well as his family and his political relations.

Pakistan Muslim League’s President Chaudhry Shujat Hussain says retired Gen. Pervez Musharraf and his friend Tariq Aziz made a plan to ensure PML (Q)’s defeat in the 2008 elections. Mr. Hussain reveals this in his autobiography titled “Sach Tou Yeh Hai”.

Talking about the ‘conspiracy to stop PML(Q) from returning to power.’ He writes in his 328-page memoir: “When I asked former US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage during a meeting in Lahore after the 2008 elections why you were part of the conspiracy to ensure our [PML-Q] defeat in the polls, he said, ‘It was not I but your two good friends — Gen. Musharraf and [Former Security Adviser] Tariq Aziz — who along with [then US Secretary of State] Condoleezza Rice made that happen.”

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Wasim Sajjad, S.M. Zafar, Khalid Ranjha, and Mushahid Hussain Sayed were also present at the meeting, states Mr. Hussain. He claims that the 2008 elections were fixed. “A few days before the 2008 elections, three US senators — Joe Biden, John Kerry and Charles Hagel — met Pervaiz Elahi in Lahore and flatly told him that though he had done a great job in the health and education sectors, they would not accept the result of the election if his party won.”

Mr. Hussain writes that Mr. Elahi told him that a conspiracy had been hatched against the PML-Q and that had been confirmed by the US Senators. “Gen. Musharraf telephoned me on polling day saying my party would get 40 to 45 seats [of the National Assembly] and that I should accept the result. I told him how he could say so as counting had not yet started. We had information that to give credibility to the election a plan had been finalized to ensure the defeat of some 30 big names of the PML-Q, including myself. Later when I inquired from Gen. Musharraf about this, he had no straight answer.”

Similarly, he says the PML-Q was in a position to form government in Balochistan and it had finalized the candidate for the office of the Chief Minister, but Gen. Musharraf stopped it saying he wanted to provide ‘comfort level’ to PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari.

Mr. Hussain also reveals that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had pressurized him to book Mr. Zardari in a narcotics case when the former was Federal Interior Minister. In 2011, Mr. Zardari confirmed this by saying: “Had Chaudhry Shujat got me booked in a narcotics case, I would not have become President of Pakistan.”
The PML-Q chief talks about betrayals by Nawaz Sharif on a number of occasions. Mentioning Mr. Sharif’s first visit to his residence, he writes: “Young Nawaz Sharif first came to see my father Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi during an election campaign. Nawaz said his father wanted to give funds for the election campaign. Pervaiz Elahi told him that Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi did not need any funds. Upon this, Nawaz left.”

In the book, Mr. Hussain talks about his family’s political struggle, Ayub and Bhutto regimes, 1977 elections, Gen. Zia’s era, the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, Benazir Bhutto’s governments, Nawaz Sharif government’s second tenure, Musharraf’s takeover and Pervaiz Elahi’s government in Punjab.

Speaking at the book launching ceremony, Mr. Hussain said his book did not contain opinions but only the facts of the given period. “I have written my memoirs without any prejudice and have stated facts. I have tried my best so that no one is hurt. After going through this book people will make their own opinion.”