LAHORE, May 10: Spiritual leader Pir Pagara is willing to accept Gen Pervez Musharraf as president of the Pakistan Muslim League at a time when he is the head of state and chief of the army staff, a central leader of the Functional Muslim League said on Saturday.

However, if the general is not willing to accept the offer, leaders of the rival factions can choose the head of the unified party in a manner already explained by the Pir, party’s joint secretary Sheikh Sirajuddin said while talking to Dawn.

Pir Pagara is the second head of a PML faction who has made the offer to the general. Syed Kabir Ali Wasti was the first to float the idea. However, he then merged his faction with the ruling PML-Q.

The offer from Pagara is indicative of a sea change in his thinking as months before the October general elections he had refused to meet President Musharraf on the ground that he was on his way out and the spiritual leader never boarded the sinking boats.

The Functional Muslim League chief had also said that the general elections would not be held on schedule as Gen Musharraf’s likely successor would come up with his own schedule.

Pir Pagara has made several abortive moves in the past to unify various factions of the Pakistan Muslim League. However, leaders of other factions could not work out a mutually acceptable formula.

Pagara says that all factions desirous of getting together should nominate some members of their respective groups to form a joint council which should work as electoral college for the head of the united party.