August 12, 2002	Monday	Jamadi-us-Saani 2, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 11: Pakistan Muslim League Vice-President Syed Zafar Ali Shah has left for Jeddah for discussions with the Sharif family on election strategy and other related issues, according to party sources.

He is said to have been summoned by the party leadership for discussing sensitive issues, including the PML’s relationship with Pakistan People’s Party and other parties in the October elections.

The sources denied that Zafar Ali was carrying any message from the rulers but claimed that the government desired a deal.

They cited the example of the editor of a daily, who had claimed that he met former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on the desire of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

According to the sources, a major objective of the visit was to pursue with Nawaz Sharif, the PML supreme leader, and its president, Shahbaz Sharif, the expulsion of former minister Sheikh Rashid from the party.

Zafar Ali remained a PPP member before joining the PML and he has maintained good relations with the PPP leadership as Alliance for Restoration of Democracy information secretary. He is stated to be a supporter of understanding between the parties.

However, a majority of the party’s leaders have opposed the idea of joining hands with the Pakistan Peoples Party saying that major vote bank of the Pakistan Muslim League has been anti-Bhutto.

Sheikh Rashid he has been served two show cause notices, charging him of violating party discipline.

The party decided not to invite him to its recent central working committee meeting nor was his name in the office-bearers elected. His stance is that he never betrayed the party but did not want confrontation with the establishment either.

In his reply to the show cause notice, Sheikh said: “The party needs me more than I need the party as I can give it a safe National Assembly seat but it cannot give it to me.”

Another objective of Zafar Ali’s visit according to sources is to confirm his own and Dr Tariq’s party tickets for Islamabad rural and urban National Assembly seats.