May 19, 2002	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1423

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LAHORE, May 18: Three factions of the Pakistan Muslim League at a meeting here on Saturday decided to approach heads of six other factions of the party with a view to working out modalities for the “unification” of all groups.

“We are heading towards unification, not merger”, PML(QA) secretary-general Gohar Ayub Khan said while talking to reporters after the maiden 90-minute session of the committee tasked to unify the fragmented party.

Sardar Assef Ahmad Ali and Rana Ashraf Khan, representatives of the PML(C) and the PML (Functional), respectively, who, along with the PML(QA) leader are members of the committee, were also present.

The committee was constituted by heads of the three factions at their May 10 meeting at the Karachi residence of Pir Pagara.

“We’ll maintain our respective party structures,” Mr Khan said.

Sardar Assef said the committee would submit its recommendations to the heads of their parties and then it would be for them to take a final decision on modalities of unification.

The parties which will be contacted for unification are: the PML(N), through Raja Zafarul Haq, PML (Jinnah) of Mian Manzoor Wattoo, Jinnah Muslim League of Azad Bin Haider, PML (Qasim) of Saifullah Saif, PML (Qayyum) of Khan Amanullah Khan and Council Muslim League of Sardar Nasrullah.

The next meeting of the committee, and representatives of other factions willing to unify, will be held on May 27 at the Muslim League House, Lahore. However, in case any leader had any reservations about the venue, Sardar Assef’s Gulberg office will be the new rendezvous.