|
|
|
| 03 May 2004 | Monday | 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425 |
Five PML factions, SDA agree to unite
ISLAMABAD, May 2: Five factions of Pakistan Muslim League and the Sindh Democratic Alliance on Sunday approved a unification plan and a new draft party constitution.
The leadership meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, also set May 12 as the date for a joint meeting of their general councils.
After the meeting which spanned five hours, Mr Jamali declared that all PML factions had now become one entity. This, he said, would go a long way towards strengthening democracy in the country.
"This will herald political stability and strengthen the League government," he said. The unification committee will soon meet President General Pervez Musharraf to apprise him of the details of the unification plan, party sources said.
PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that the joint convention of general councils of all factions would formally announce their unification, approve the draft constitution and elect new office-bearers.
Replying to a question, he said the National Alliance of former president Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari would later merge with the enlarged PML. During the meeting, Chaudhry Shujaat asked the participants thrash out all issues "so that we are well prepared when we meet the president".
It was decided to convene another meeting of the League faction leaders on Monday to work out arrangements for the joint general council. Those who attended the meeting were Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Sindh Chief Minister Sardar Ali Mohammad Mahar, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yusuf, Senator S.M.Zafar, Tariq Azeem, and Kamil Ali Agha of PML-Q, Sultan Mehmood Khan, Kunwar Qutbuddin, and Justice (retd) Abdul Razzaq Thaeem of PML-F, Religious Affairs Minister Ijazul Haq of PML-Z, Hamid Nasir Chattha and Iqbal Dar of PML-Junejo, Mian Manzoor Wattoo, Saeed Minhais and Rubina Shaheen Wattoo of PML-Jinnah, and Imtiaz Sheikh of SDA.
The meeting decided to allow provincial chief ministers to keep party offices and to remove legal lacunas in this respect in the Political Parties Order (PPO). However, this remained undecided as to whether the chief executive of the country should also be allowed to become the party chief even though the matter came under discussion, political sources said.
Mr Chattha stressed that a new look should be given to the party with drastic changes in central and provincial top offices so that the change was visible to everyone. It was agreed that all general council members of their respective factions would form the new general council until new elections, after which the council will be limited to 1,500 members.
Besides, a 200-member central working committee and a central executive committee of 30 members have also been proposed to work as advisory committees for the party president.
Two offices of senior vice-presidents were created with four vice-presidents, one secretary general and two deputy secretaries general. Kunwar Qutbuddin of PML-F said Prime Minister Jamali read out the draft constitution, clause by clause, to seek opinion of all the participants and then took their approval.
He said the prime minister seemed to be in a pleasant mood and at one point when the office of secretary-general was being discussed, quipped: "Why are you searching for a person for the office when I am available as secretary-general to Chaudhry Shujaat."
The issue of giving the party leadership to President Musharraf did not figure in Sunday's meeting, some of the participants said. Meanwhile, Syed Kabir Ali Wasti, the PML-Q vice-president, has given a written explanation to Chaudhry Shujaat for allegedly fanning dissension in the party and using harsh language against the prime minister, party sources said.
Mr Wasti has said in his explanation that whatever he had done reflected grievances of the party cadre. Party sources said Chaudhry Shujaat did not appear to be satisfied with the explanation and might consider taking suitable action to stop any further dissension in the party.
|
|
|
|