ISLAMABAD, April 20: Millat Party president and leader of the three-party National Alliance Farooq Leghari announced on Tuesday merger of the alliance with the unified Pakistan Muslim League.

Speaking at a press conference here, Mr Leghari said the NA had decided to merge with the PML after unification of all factions of the League which was expected in the first week of May.

Sources said the NA leadership had taken the decision after holding a meeting with President Pervez Musharraf during which it was given an understanding that the president would himself assume the post of the PML chief after relinquishing the army office in December.

In reply to a question, Mr Leghari said although it had been said that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain would be the president of the unified PML, the possibility of President Musharraf holding the office once he quit the army and joined politics could not be ruled out.

He said practical steps for the merger would be initiated when the new PML emerged after unification of its five factions. Mr Leghari denied reports that the NA had discussed or formally asked President Musharraf not to shed his uniform on the date set in this regard.

He said the country was passing through a transition from military rule to democracy and it could not be called true democracy as long as the president remained in uniform.

In reply to another question, Mr Leghari said he was not aware that any moves were being made to make Gen Musharraf field marshal nor would his party support any such proposition. He said that the president of Pakistan without uniform could be the president of the ruling political party and he saw no legal bar on it.

Mr Leghari was accompanied by Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi of the National People's Party, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, a provincial minister of Sindh and leader of his own faction of Sindh Democratic Alliance, Awais Leghari, his son and a federal minister, and a few legislators. He fielded some difficult questions, like if had taken the merger decision strengthen the army rule and weaken the political process.