CHARSADDA, Feb 8: Two breakaway factions of the Pakistan People's Party, working under the banners of Patriots and Sherpao, formally announced their merger at a public meeting held at the Sherpao village near here on Sunday.

Speaking at the meeting, organized by the Sherpao group to observe the 29th death anniversary of Hayat Mohammad Khan Sherpao, Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal said: "We have merged to serve our people on the political lines set by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Hayat Mohammad Khan Sherpao 37 years ago."

He said the merger would turn the two factions into a major political party, which would work for peace and prosperity and a stable democratic government. He said the new party would take guidance and inspiration from the philosophy and political ideals of Z. A. Bhutto.

Mureed Kazim and Sikandar Sherpao of the PPP-S, Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani and Kabir Ali Wasti of the PML-Q, Afzal Khamosh of Mazdoor Kisan Party, Fanoos Gujjar of the Pakistan Awami Party and Zubair Ahmed Zaheer of the Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadith paid tribute to Hayat Sherpao.

The defence minister said it had become imperative for them to re-organize the PPP and solve the problems confronting the people and external challenges the country was facing. They would uphold the political ideals for which Z. A. Bhutto and his comrade Hayat Sherpao had rendered a lot of sacrifices. Speaking about the future of the party, Water and Power Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao said their party was the heir to the PPP launched by Mr Bhutto 37 years ago at the same ground. Once again, old friends of Mr Bhutto had gathered at the same place to relaunch his mission in the larger interest of the people and the country, Mr Sherpao said.

He criticized the opposition alliances - the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal - for what he called their infantile and irresponsible stand on the nuclear proliferation issue.

The opposition should have behaved in a responsible manner on such sensitive issues, which could plunge the country into a series of crisis, he added. He said the MMA government in the NWFP had failed to solve even the basic problems of the people, who had voted it to power to replace the present socio-economic system with the Islamic one.

The minister said that their party would continue to support the economic and financial policies set by President Gen Pervez Musharraf in the greater interest of the country.

Petroleum Minister Chaudhry Noraiz Shakoor criticized the PPP leadership which, according to him, had betrayed the people.The meeting adopted a number of resolutions, hailing resumption of Pakistan-India dialogue, endorsing President Musharraf's policies and urging the opposition to adopt a responsible stand on national issues.