In his final days, in Pakistan, Former prime minister Shaukat Aziz was not in talking terms with elder ‘Chaudhry of Gujrat’. And he has strong reasons behind his bitter feelings. The former prime minister was denied a National Assembly ticket.
Insiders in the PML-Q say before travelling abroad Aziz held a meeting with Pervez Musharraf complaining against the PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
Aziz referred to a news item, which read that Musharraf had refused to meet him despite his repeated requests. According to the former prime minister the news was published at the behest of Chaudhry Shujaat.
The former PM departed but with grudges against the PML-Q president. He can be defined as nothing else, but yet another victims of selfishness. The lust for power is never-ending. The PML-Q, known as the King's Party, is a classic example of what one should call backstabbing and hypocrisy.
Aziz's departure is not surprising -- at least, after his failure to get the party ticket. His elevation to the highest political office was unprecedented, but his downfall was pretty much on cards. And this time the drama played according to the script, written in advance in connivance of ‘Chaudhrys of Gujrat’.
Now Shaukat Aziz has left for abroad and reports coming in that he is planning to establish his own investment company. But what happened between him and the Chaudhrys is still ambiguous.
Pervaiz Elahi is undeclared candidate of the PML-Q for the office of prime minister. Shaukat Aziz, who failed to develop his own political clout during his brief stay in power, was being considered a potential threat to Elahi's ambitions.
Aziz was like a stone in Chaudhrys shoe. They removed it by denying him the National Assembly ticket. One may recall that Aziz won the last general elections with a huge lead each in Tharparkar (Sindh) and Attock (Punjab).
During private meetings, after the completion of his term as prime minister, Aziz often complained to his confidants that he was dumped by the PML-Q leadership. Obviously, he was complaining against Chaudhrys who are all in all of the King's Party.
When Gen Musharraf overthrew democratically elected government of Nawaz Sharif he chose Aziz -- then a Citibank Executive – to take care of the economy.
The goddess of luck struck Aziz after serious differences cropped up between Chaudhry Shujaat and Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali. In order to restrict Humayun Akhtar Khan becoming the prime minister, Chaudhrys of Gujrat proposed the name of Shaukat Aziz.  
Aziz was then a Senator. He left his Senate seat to become an MNA, while Chaudhry Shujaat played the role of a stopgap prime minister. When Aziz became the prime minister, he was clearly told not to step into the party's political affairs – a mistake what Jamali had committed. Aziz acted upon the advice.
What Chaudhrys did to the Aziz was not a unique phenomenon in the PML-Q ranks. History of the PML-Q speaks of itself. It narrates how friends are betrayed and sidelined. It shows how conspiracies are hatched. And how big opportunists prevail over the small ones.
The story goes back to Nawaz Sharif's heydays, when every Muslim Leaguer including the Chaudhrys were merely his toadies. General Musharraf ousted Nawaz Sharif in October 1999 and many of his confidants were arrested, but a few continued to enjoy freedom. Chaudhrys foresaw fate of Nawaz Sharif in the years to come. They found a stairway to the heights of power.
Chaudhrys left Sharifs languishing in Attock Fort. When Sharifs were facing the charges of high treason – which might take them to gallows – Chaudhrys and company was conceiving the idea of launching a new party. The birth of the PML-Q owed a lot to the intelligence agencies. The civil-clothed spies also helped Chaudhrys take control of PML-N Secretariat, situated on Margallah Road.
Later, Nawaz Sharif was exiled to Saudi Arabia under a deal which was said to have been signed at the gunpoint. And PML-Q commenced its business by buying loyalties and suppressing those who refused to budge.
Chaudhrys next victims were Muslim Leaguers like Mian Azhar, Abida Hussain, Fakhar Imam and Col (R) Ghulam Sarwar Cheema. Mian Azhar was the PML-Q president, but he lost 2002 general elections from Lahore. He faced tremendous pressure to step down as the party president because he lost the confidence of the voters. Azhar left having grudges against Chaudhrys.
When Zafarullah Jamali became the prime minister, he left the office of PML-Q secretary general. Saleem Saifullah Khan succeeded him, but his stay in the King's Party was short-lived. He was replaced by Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who is still surviving thanks to his strong connections with the powers-that-be and cordial relations with the Chaudhrys.
Zafarullah Jamali was another victim of Gujrat. Once Chaudhry Shujaat was abroad, Jamali summoned two meetings of the PML-Q Central Working Committee. His move was taken as an attempt to hijack the party. Jamali was actually made the prime minister to impede ambitious Humayun Akhtar Khan grabbing the country's highest political office.
 
When time finally came to get rid of Jamali, in 2004, once again Humayun Akhtar emerged to the scene so much to the worries of Chaudhrys. But again they managed to ward him off by promoting Shaukat Aziz. And now Shaukat has become another victim of the Chaudhrys Gujrat.  
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is the most likely candidate of the King's Party for the office of prime minister. The PML-Q was predictably making his way to power assuring Mr Musharraf of all out support in future. But the tragic death of Benazir Bhutto turned the table of circumstances – at least, for a time being.
Now Chaudhrys feel they should concentrate on Punjab, if they fail to get a clear majority in the National Assembly to form their government. In case the People's Party forms its government in the centre with help of the like-minded parties, the PML-Q will play the Punjab card. In any case a time, full of conspiracies, is just ahead.
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