Profile: Mushahid Hussain Syed

Mushahid Hussain Syed, who is currently the information secretary of the Chaudhry Shujjat Hussain-led PML-Q, the erstwhile ruling party, served as information minister in the government of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from 1997-1999.

He became the youngest editor of an English language newspaper, The Muslim, published from Islamabad, at the age of 29 in 1982.

Graduated from Georgetown, Hussain is also known for his diplomatic skill. He was elected to the Senate (Upper House) in 2003 and is Chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee.

He filed his nomination paper for the presidential election from the platform of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q). His chances of winning are quite bleak.