ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: The component parties of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) on Tuesday failed to elect new chief of the alliance due to the differences between the PPP and the PML-N.

The ARD leaders who met here to offer fateha for the late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, decided to postpone the election of their new leader by one day. The meeting will now be held on Wednesday.

A source in the alliance told Dawn that the election had to be postponed as both the PPP and the PML-N failed to develop a consensus on the issue of the new ARD chief.

A source in the PPP claimed the future of the alliance was in danger due to the differences between the two parties. “The alliance will break up if the PML-N continues its attempts to blackmail the PPP,” he said, adding the PML-N was demanding too much from the PPP.

He said the PML-N wanted restructuring of the ARD, while the PPP wanted to keep the present structure intact. The PML-N, he said, had suggested creation of two posts, one of the president in addition to the chairman’s office and an additional office of general secretary.

The source said the PML-N had proposed that Makhdoom Amin Fahim should be appointed as chairman and Javed Hashmi as president of the alliance. He said the PML-N had also offered the post of the general secretary to the PPP but wanted to have the post of additional general secretary with it.

Besides, he said, the PML-N had also demanded posts of presidents of Punjab and the NWFP.

The source said the PML-N leaders should realize that the ARD was a necessity for them but not for the PPP. The PPP leader said he did not know why the PML-N wanted to create more posts when only one post had fallen vacant. “We have suggested that Amin Fahim should be made chairman and Javed Hashmi senior vice-chairman of the alliance,” he said.

He said the PPP would take the final decision after consulting Benazir Bhutto and there were chances that the new president would not be elected even on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, consultations between the PPP and a PML-N committee continued throughout Tuesday. The PML-N had formed a five-member committee under Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to hold consultations with the PPP and other ARD parties regarding election of new chief and future strategy.