He was a disciple or student of renowned tabla maestro Mian Qadir Baksh, founder of the Punjab gharana of tabla players who also was the teacher of many tabla players that later gained international recognition. Mian Qadir Baksh was known throughout the world for his skill and mastery of tabla. After learning the art of tabla playing from Mian Qadir Baksh, Mian Shaukat Hussain soon started gaining recognition in the music circles in Pakistan and was the music group accompanist of choice for Pakistan's great classical music vocalists and instrumentalists including Salamat Ali Khan, Amanat Ali Khan-Bade Fateh Ali Khan (classical-music-singing-duo), Roshan Ara Begum, Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali and many others during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. It requires intellect and sensitivity from the tabla player to figure out what the classical music vocalists expect from the accompanying tabla player as the singers go about their singing. He has to have the ability to read the minds of the singers. When these artists performed on Pakistan Television shows, they frequently selected Mian Shaukat Hussain as tabla player to accompany them on stage. Also riding on a wave of success, Mian Shaukat Hussain toured Europe, Africa, India and Bangladesh with these artists. Another contemporary famous tabla player in Pakistan is Tari Khan, who is now known as the Prince of Tabla of Pakistan, was also a disciple of Mian Shaukat Hussain, "who is said to be a 'ditto copy' of the great ustad" – according to a major newspaper of Pakistan, The Friday Times.
