It previously served as an ally of former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf's government, and led a joint election campaign in 2013 alongside Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Punjab and Balochistan provinces against its rival Pakistan Muslim League (N), a fiscally conservative and centre-right force.

After the 1997 general elections, political differences arose that ultimately led to the creation of a faction inside the party.

The emergence of PML-N as the largest opposition party after the 2008 elections led to a significant collapse of PML-Q's influence.

[citation needed] PML (Q) started as a small group of half a dozen like-minded people in the Nawaz Sharif-led faction of PML-N, including Azhar, Khurshid Kasuri, Syeda Abida Hussain and her husband Syed Fakhar Imam.

[10] PML(Q) is usually associated with conservatism and Pakistani nationalism and its stated priorities continue to include transforming Pakistan into a welfare state, promoting Islamizaton within minority rights and egalitarian values, establishing a conservative democracy, maintaining a strong relationship between civilians and military establishment.

The new faction announced that Hamid Nasir Chattha would be the chairman, Salim Saifullah the president, and Humayun Akhtar Khan the secretary general.

Other prominent leaders to join this parallel set-up includes (former foreign ministers) Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri (appointed as chairman of the steering committee) former information and organising secretary PML-Q Azeem Chaudhary, former member National Assembly Asiya Azeem, Gohar Ayub Khan and Kashmala Tariq.

[17][18] In February 2010, the mainstream PML-Q was further affected by the resignation of Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq, and the revival of his Pakistan Muslim League (Z) party.

Mr. Syed Kabir Ali Wasti senior vice president and chairman media committee of PMLQ was back bone of PMLQand remained very active in politics to make PMLQ sweep 2002 elections.As Syed Kabir Ali Wasti was formerly president of Pakistan Muslim League Qasim group and was close aide to Malik Qasim of Pakistan Muslim League-Qasim group.

He supported former prime minister Benazir Bhutto but later Joined Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i-Azam and became Senior Vice President of the party during the government of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Once the establishment parted ways with Nawaz Sharif in 1999, Hussain and Zahoor came to the rescue of stability and saw their new party PML (Q) win the general elections of 2002.