LAHORE, April 17: Fresh efforts for the unification of Pakistan Muslim League’s Functional, Chattha and Nawaz factions have failed because of the yawning gap between the positions of these parties on some important issues including the constitutionality of the referendum.

The efforts were initiated recently by Hamid Nasir Chattha under instructions from Pir Pagara. Both these leaders are supporting the April 30 referendum to give Gen Pervez Musharraf five years in presidency after completing his three-year term mandated by the Supreme Court.

Mr Chattha had met PML chairman Raja Zafarul Haq a few days ago and the two sides agreed to constitute a committee, comprising two nominees each from the three factions, to work out the modalities. Mr Chattha had then nominated Sardar Assef Ahmad Ali and Iqbal Dar. Pir Pagara had nominated Rana Ashraf Khan and Sheikh Sirajuddin.

Mr Dar approached Raja Zafarul Haq on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, but the latter refused to make any nominations to the committee in view of Mr Chattha’s statements in support of the referendum. Pir Pagara, too, has no objection to Gen Musharraf retaining the presidency for as long as he deems fit or to the procedure he adopts to remain in office.

“Is there still any need or justification for the committee,” Mr Haq is reported to have asked Mr Dar.

Another PML(N) leader said on condition of anonymity: “progress in unification talks has been stalled.”

The PML(N) is a component of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy and a staunch opponent of Gen Musharraf’s remaining the president even for a single day.

Some PML(C) leaders admitted that merger of only two factions was not viable. “What can the Functional Muslim League deliver to the PML(C) in the Punjab and what support can the PML(C) provide to the Functional Muslim League in Sindh,” one of them asked, implying that the two would be of little help to each other.

The failure of the fresh initiative has rendered the earlier consensus among six tiny factions meaningless. These groups had met recently under the leadership of Pir Pagara. To make the unified party a formidable force, Pir Pagara and Chattha had decided to try to bring in the PML(N).

In a related development, the military rulers have reportedly told the PML(QA) leaders that the PML factions should be unified.

It is said that during his recent visit to Bannu, President Pervez Musharraf had expressed his resentment over the failure of the PML(QA) leaders to rope in leaders of other factions. The PML(QA) leaders are, however, still undecided about their future course of action in this regard.