Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain
{{Short description|Pakistani politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-suffix =
| name = Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain
| office1 = Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
| term_start1 = 2002
| term_end1 = 2013
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Gujrat city, Punjab, Pakistan
| constituency1 = NA-104 (Gujrat-I)
| profession = * Businessman
- Politician
- Agronomist
| citizenship =
| nationality = Pakistani
| office = Pakistan Muslim League (Q)
| status = Disputed
| term_start = 26 January 2023
| predecessor = Shujaat Hussain{{cite news|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1034497-shujaat-sacked-as-pml-qs-president|title=Ch Shujaat 'sacked' as PML-Q president|date=26 January 2023|access-date=26 January 2023|work=The News International (newspaper)}}
| other party = Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (2023-2025)
| relatives = Chaudhry family
| education = * Aitchison College
}}
Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|چوہدری وجاہت حسین}}}}; born {{circa|1950}}) is a Pakistani politician who had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2002 to 2013. In 2023, he was appointed as the president of PML-Q after his brother Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was removed from the position by a breakaway faction. Later, Election commission of Pakistan reverted the decision and stated it an illegal move. Also given all powers back to Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. He was member of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf{{cite news|title=Arithmetic of political families in national, provincial assemblies|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1036081-who-is-pml-q-president-ecp-rules-in-favour-of-chaudhry-shujaat|access-date=31 January 2023}} until he announced going back to Shujaat's PML-Q.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-22 |title=Ch Wajahat Hussain quits PTI, returns to Shujaat's PML-Q |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2418023/ch-wajahat-hussain-quits-pti-returns-to-shujaats-pml-q |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}} He is the father of the current member national assembly Chaudhry Hussain Elahi and uncle of Moonis Elahi and Chaudhry Salik Hussain.{{cite news|title=Arithmetic of political families in national, provincial assemblies|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/73823/arithmetic-of-political-families-in-national-provincial-assemblies|access-date=20 December 2002}}
Early life and education
Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, also known as "Commander Gujrat", son of Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi, was born in 1950 in Gujrat. He is a graduate of George Washington University in USA where he completed a bachelor's degree in Political Science. For his primary and high school, he attended the Aitchison College Lahore, where many Pakistani businessmen and politicians have attended.{{cite news|title=Arithmetic of political families in national, provincial assemblies|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/73823/arithmetic-of-political-families-in-national-provincial-assemblies|access-date=20 December 2002}}
Political career
He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan from Constituency NA-104 (Gujrat-I) as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q) in the 2002 Pakistani general election.{{cite news|last1=Ghumman|first1=Khawar|title=Arithmetic of political families in national, provincial assemblies|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/73823|access-date=29 June 2017|work=DAWN.COM|date=20 December 2002|language=en}} He received 82,126 votes and defeated Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gul. In the same election, he also ran for the seat of the National Assembly from Constituency NA-105 (Gujrat-II) as an independent candidate but was unsuccessful. He received 1,061 votes and lost the seat to Shujaat Hussain.{{cite web|title=2002 election result|url=https://www.ecp.gov.pk/ge/ge2002vol2.pdf|publisher=ECP|access-date=12 May 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126141507/https://www.ecp.gov.pk/ge/ge2002vol2.pdf|archive-date=26 January 2018}}
He was re-elected to the National Assembly from Constituency NA-104 (Gujrat-I) as a candidate of PML-Q in the 2008 Pakistani general election.{{cite news|last1=Newspaper|first1=the|title=Alliance 'in the making': Rivals refuse to expunge history|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/623612|access-date=26 July 2017|work=DAWN.COM|date=24 April 2011|language=en}} He received 96,379 votes and defeated Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gul.{{cite web|title=2008 election result|url=https://www.ecp.gov.pk/Documents/General%20Elections%202008/Report,%20General%20Election%202008,%20Vol-II.pdf|publisher=ECP|access-date=11 April 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105060230/https://ecp.gov.pk/Documents/General%20Elections%202008/Report,%20General%20Election%202008,%20Vol-II.pdf|archive-date=5 January 2018}} On 3 May 2011, he was inducted into the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and was appointed as Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis{{cite news|title=PML-Q ministers and their portfolios|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/613546-pml-q-ministers-and-their-portfolios|access-date=21 August 2017|work=www.thenews.com.pk|language=en}}{{cite news|title=Thirteen PML-Q ministers allocated portfolios|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/625744|access-date=21 August 2017|work=DAWN.COM|date=3 May 2011|language=en}} where he served until 15 May 2011. On 16 May, he was made Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower where he served until 30 June 2011. From 1 July to 29 July, he remained in the federal cabinet with the status of a federal minister without any portfolio. On 30 July, he was appointed as Federal Minister for Human Resource Development where he continued to serve until June 2012.{{cite web|title=Federal cabinet of Prime Minister Gillani|url=http://www.cabinet.gov.pk/cabinet/userfiles1/file/Info%20serveces/Federal%20Cabinet%20since%201947/12%20april%20updated/Federal%20Cabinet%20of%20Syed%20Yousaf%20Raza%20Gillani,%20Latest_doc.pdf|publisher=Cabinet division|access-date=28 May 2018}} In June 2012, he was inducted into the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and was appointed as Federal Minister for Human Resource Development where he served until May 2013.{{cite web|title=Federal cabinet of Prime Minister Ashraf|url=http://www.cabinet.gov.pk/cabinet/userfiles1/file/Info%20serveces/Federal%20Cabinet%20since%201947/12%20april%20updated/Federal%20Cabinet%20of%20Raja%20Pervez%20Asharaf.pdf|publisher=Cabinet division|access-date=28 May 2018}}
He ran for the seat of the National Assembly from Constituency NA-104 (Gujrat-I) as a candidate of PML-Q in the 2013 Pakistani general election but was unsuccessful.{{cite news|title=Gujrat showdown: Pervaiz Elahi to face Ahmed Mukhtar - The Express Tribune|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/528965/gujrat-showdown-pervaiz-elahi-to-face-ahmed-mukhtar/|access-date=29 June 2017|work=The Express Tribune|date=31 March 2013}} He received 81,231 votes and lost the seat to Nawabzada Mazhar Ali.{{cite web|title=2013 election result|url=https://ecp.gov.pk/Documents/General%20Elections%202013%20report/Election%20Report%202013%20Volume-II.pdf|publisher=ECP|access-date=26 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526173608/https://ecp.gov.pk/Documents/General%20Elections%202013%20report/Election%20Report%202013%20Volume-II.pdf|archive-date=26 May 2018}}
On 26 January 2023, he was appointed the as the president of PML-Q after his brother Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was removed from the position{{Cite web |date=2023-01-26 |title=PML-Q strips Chaudhry Shujaat of president status, hands command to Wajahat Hussain |url=https://www.nation.com.pk/26-Jan-2023/pml-q-strips-chaudhry-shujaat-of-president-status-hands-command-to-wajahat-hussain |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=The Nation |language=en-US}} by a breakaway faction which terminated the Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's party membership for party rules violations. But later Election Commission, announced that Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain will remain president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).{{Cite web |date=2023-05-05 |title=Shujaat to remain PML-Q president, rules ECP |url=https://www.nation.com.pk/05-May-2023/shujaat-to-remain-pml-q-president-rules-ecp |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=The Nation |language=en-US}} On 22 May 2023, Chaudhary Wajahat Hussain announced returning to PML-Q.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-23 |title=Ch Wajahat quits PTI, rejoins PML-Q |url=https://www.nation.com.pk/23-May-2023/ch-wajahat-quits-pti-rejoins-pml-q |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=The Nation |language=en-US}}