Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (Urdu: چودھری شجاعت حسین; January 27, 1946), is a senior conservative figure and business oligarch, previously served as the 14th Prime minister of Pakistan from 30 June 2004 until voluntarily stepping down on 28 August 2004, in the favor of Shaukat Aziz. As of current, Hussain is the current and incumbent party president of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q).

Hailing from the business-industrialist family from the Punjab Province of Pakistan, Hussain educated and 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, sugar and flour mills. He successfully contested in non-partisan 1985 elections and appointed as minister of ministry of industry in the government of Prime minister Muhammad Junejo, lasting until 1988. Hussain became a wealthy leader and influential conservative figure in Islamic Democratic Alliance (IDA) in 1988-90 and later joining the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) led under Nawaz Sharif in 1993. Hussain served as the 26th Interior minister in the government of Prime minister Nawaz Sharif in two non-consecutive terms from 1990–93 and 1997-99.

Originally a supporter of Nawaz Sharif, Hussain developed serious issues regarding the national economy, Kargil war and left PML after the 1999 coup d'état commenced by chief of army staff and chairman joint chiefs of staff committee general Pervez Musharraf. In 2001, Hussain joined the dissident group of PML on January 2003, and successfully contested in 2002 general elections. He opted for Zafarullah Khan Jamali, supporting Jamali for the Prime minister office bid, but developed political problems that ending his support to Jamali. He took over the Prime minister Secretariat and became 14th Prime minister in 2004. Two months later, Hussain stepped down in order to support Shaukat Aziz for the office of Prime minister. His family also remains influential participant in national politics and his younger cousin Pervez Illahi served as Chief Minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007. As of current, Hussain and his party remains a major ally of current Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan Peoples Party.