Despite his support for the PML(Q), the forward block supporting Musharraf for several years, Hussain remained sympathetics towards the PML(N) and eventually joined his original party after being ousted by the forward block in 2016.[7][8][9] He is known as a proponent for strengthening the foreign relations with China and Central Asia, having served the Chairman of the China-Pakistan Institute, a lobbying firm based in Islamabad.[10][6]
Biography
Early life and career in journalism
Mushahid Hussain Syed was born in Sialkot, Punjab in Pakistan into a military Punjabi family on 2 November 1952.[11] His father, Amjad Hussain Syed, was an army officer in the Pakistan Army, retiring with rank of army colonel; his mother, Sameen Sayed, was a social activist.[12] Hussain is the fourth of five children, and both his parents were activists in the Pakistan Movement prior to 1947.[13] His mother, Sameen, died at the age of 83 in 2010.[13]
In 1983, he joined the Non-Aligned News Agencies which he co-chaired in New Delhi.[15][11] In 1985–86, Hussain had established himself as a journalist and had enjoyed considerable fame when he wrote articles on politics and security.: 228 [16]
Hussain (left) discussing the Fair Trial bill at the RSIL meeting in 2017.
After covering the nationwide general elections held in 1990, Hussain joined the IDA government led by Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif and was inducted as an adviser on External Publicity and Foreign Affairs in the first administration, which he served until 1993.[11] He advised the Prime Minister Sharif on the issues relating to the foreign relations with the United States, India, and the geostrategy in Central Asia, and was later elevated as the Minister of Communications.: 43 [17] In 1994, he was appointed as the information secretary of the PML(N) while he continued to write columns and articles on the issue of national conservatism and security in country's major news and political correspondents.: 264 [18]
In 1997, he played a crucial role in the managing the public relations of the election campaign of Nawaz Sharif in general elections held in 1997, and reportedly quoted in favor of Nawaz Sharif: "Nawaz will be the Erbakan of Pakistan.": 155 [19] He participated and defended the NA-125 constituency based on Lahore and was elected as the member of national assembly on the platform of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) whereas joining the Prime Minister Sharif's second administration as the Information Minister in his cabinet.[12]
About the Kargil war, he reportedly spoke in favor of the conflict and reportedly noted in the televised press conference: bitter fighting has "internationalized Kashmir", and hence was worth the loss of life suffered by the Pakistan Army as well as the Kashmiri freedom fighters involved.[22] In 1999, his tenure was abrupted when Chairman joint chiefs Gen. Pervez Musharrafstaged a martial law against the elected civilian government, and placed him trial that sentenced him on a solitary confinement on a conspiracy of treason; he was declared as the prisoner of conscience.[26] In 2000–01, he voiced for the civilian control of the military and the called for the support for the democratic movements in an opined article which The Washington Post profiled him as: "Pakistan Keeps Gag on Former Spokesman."[15]
PML(Q)'s secretary and presidential campaign in 2008
In 2003, Hussain agreed upon a deal with the Musharraf administration and joined the forward block, the PML(Q), led by Shujaat Hussain and ultimately ran for the senate elections held in 2002.[27] His decision to defect against the ethicalmorality lost the credibility that he had built over the several decades as a "respected journalist and disciplined politician",[28] and was received severe public criticism from news correspondents of defending the Musharraf's presidential campaign while serving as sitting army chief.[29][28]
His credibility was greatly questioned in an editorial written in Dawn, the political correspondent, where Ziauddin claimed that Hussain filed for "nomination papers for the Senate elections reportedly with a letter of recommendation from Washington, D.C."[30] In 2004, he joined the taskforce as the President Musharraf's special envoy to begin negotiate with the Baloch political leader Akbar Bugti, an ally of Benazir Bhutto, which eventually failed.[31] he further earned notoriety when he was part of the same government which was eventually implicated in the Bugti's killing.[12] After the resignation of PresidentPervez Musharraf, Hussain earned the nomination from the PML-Q to run his presidential campaign during the presidential election held in 2008.[32] Hussain eventually lost the presidential elections with the largest margin, receiving only 44 votes out of 700 from the Electoral College as opposed top Asif Zardari (409/700) and S.Z. Siddiqui (216/700).[33][34]
After elected as Pakistan Senator from Punjab in 2012, Hussain came under severe public criticism when it was reported that he only paid ₨. 82. (US¢ 0.82) in filing the tax returns, and was called as a tax evader by various news correspondents.[35][36]
On 4 June 2012, Hussain was unanimously elected as the Chairman of the Senate Defence Committee chairman.[37]
Rejoining PML(N) and Pakistan Senator
In October 2016, Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif appointed Hussain and Shizra Khan as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on unrest in Kashmir and went to attend the Atlantic Council, where he termed the violation of the Indus Waters Treaty as "an act of war."[38] He viewed the initiation of the strategic corridor as a crucial and one of the largest political achievement of Prime Minister Sharif, and has risen a strong political voice in support Prime Minister Sharif's economic policy.[39]
On 3 January 2017, the PML-Q ousted Hussain from the party due to his "tacit alignment" and support for the PML(N)'s cause.[40] On 4 February 2018, he rejoined the PML(N) and spoke very high of Nawaz's services to the country.[41] In 2018, he was elected as the Pakistan Senator from Federally Administered Tribal Areas on the platform of PML(N) after participating in the senator elections held in March 2018.[42]
Lobbyist and Sinologist
On 1 October 2009, Hussain founded the Pakistan China Institute to promote the bilateral relations with China.[43] He has consistently lobbied for strengthening the relations with China and the Central Asian republics.[15] He also expressed apprehension about the United States’ role in Pakistan while endorsing a deepening of relations with China.[44]
^Abrar, Maqbool Malik; Saeed, Zamir Sheikh; Ashfaq, Mohammad; Baloch, Bari; Hassan, Mubashir (7 September 2008). "Sweeps into presidency". The Nation. The Nation, 2008. The Nation. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
