25 January 2004	Sunday	02 Zilhaj 1424

PESHAWAR, Jan 24: Water And Power Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao revealed on Saturday that the merger of his faction of the Pakistan People's Party with the PPP Patriots would be announced soon.

Speaking to newsmen after his party's general council meeting at the People's House in the University Town, he said both the factions had agreed to merge and struggle for the creation of a secular and progressive polity. The factions had drafted a new party constitution, fulfilling the future demands, he said.

He said the decision of merger would be made public before Feb 8, the 29 death anniversary of PPP leader Hayat Mohammad Khan Sherpao.

He said party conventions would be held after the merger in Lahore and Islamabad.

He said his party would oppose the passage of the Hasba Bill as it was different from that Shariat Bill. He said the proposed act would lead to the setting up of a parallel judicial system.

The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government, he said, had failed to implement the Shariat Bill passed unanimously by the NWFP Assembly.

He said the NWFP government had hoodwinked the people by declaring that a Bank of Khyber branch had introduced interest-free banking in the province.

The minister accused the MMA government of promoting corruption and nepotism during appointments in various departments.

The PPP-S would soon publish a report about the MMA government's performance, he said.

He denied that the federal government had entered into any alliance with the MMA after the agreement on the 17th Amendment.

The MMA had signed an accord to allow the smooth running of parliament, but it was not a part of the ruling coalition at the centre, he said.

The federal government supported the positive actions of the MMA and opposed its negative actions, the minister said.

Replying to a question, Mr Sherpao said the opposition was doing a disservice to the country by organizing protest rallies on the debriefing of nuclear scientists. He advised the opposition to stay away from the issue and said it involved the security of the country.

He said the government had briefed MMA leaders Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and Liaquat Baloch about the issue, but the alliance was not behaving seriously.