Muslim League (Pakistan) - Other Parties By The Same Name

Other Parties By The Same Name

The name still held great prestige, however, and Ayub Khan later formed a new party, the Convention Muslim League. The opposition faction became known as the Council Muslim League. This latter group joined a united front with other political parties in 1967 in opposition to the regime. But when the military regime of Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan fell in December 1971, and Pakistan's first genuine free elections were held, both factions of the League were swept out of power: in West Pakistan by the Pakistan Peoples Party of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and in East Pakistan by the Awami League of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

In 1988, after the death of Pakistan's military ruler and later civilian President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, a new Muslim League was formed under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, but it had no connection with the original Muslim League. Sharif was Prime Minister from 1990 to 1993 and again from 1997 to 1999, when he was ousted in Pakistan's third military coup. At the controversial elections held by the military regime of Pervez Musharraf in October, five different parties using the name Muslim League contested seats. The largest of these, the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam), won 69 seats out of 272, and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), loyal to Nawaz Sharif, won 19 seats. After the elections in 2008, Quaid-e-Azam league is in the ruling coalition and the Nawaz Sharif's Muslim League is in opposition. In the recent 2013 elections Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) emerged as the largest party in the country; the party is set to form its government at the center and Nawaz Sharif will become the Prime Minister of Pakistan.