09 May 2004	Sunday	18 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

LAHORE, May 8: A crucial meeting of five factions of the PML and the Sindh Democratic Alliance has been called by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali at the Prime Minister's House for Monday (May 10), two days ahead of the May 12 meeting at which the unification is to be announced.

Party sources told Dawn here on Saturday that obstacles to the planned unification would be removed before the final meeting.

The PML-F's insistence that Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali should be made secretary-general of the unified PML, and indication by the premier that he is willing to wear two hats simultaneously, irritated many PML-Q leaders. They have told Chaudhry Shujaat Husain, the president of the party, that they would not like Mr Jamali to work on a party post because he would not be in a position to discharge dual obligations.

PML-F leader Pir Pagara told Dawnthat his party would dissociate from the unification process if its demand that offices of the secretary-general, the senior vice-president and the chief organizer should be given to its nominees was not accepted.

He said though Mr Jamali belonged to the PML-Q, the Functional League would support him as secretary-general of the unified party like it backed him as prime minister. He said he would have no complaint if the party held an election for the post of the secretary-general and Mr Jamali lost to his rival(s).

The PML-Q chief, the sources say, will try to convince Mr Jamali that he should not insist on becoming party secretary-general. In case the latter did not yield, Chaudhry Shujaat Husain would take any decision in consultation with party leaders.

Chaudhry Shujaat also feels upset by the Sindh chief minister's claim that he has been designated as president of the Sindh chapter of the party. "No such decision has so far been taken", the party sources say.

There are reports that Chaudhry Shujaat Husain met Mr Hamid Nasir Chattha in Lahore on Saturday and exchanged views with him on matters concerning the unification of all factions.

Senior PML leaders hope that differences on all issues which may hamper the unification process would be settled as a result of mutual contacts and the May 10 meeting. In case they outlived everything, "a divine intervention" might be called for, a senior leader said. He said everyone knew where the "divinity" lay and that it would be forthcoming whenever asked for.

While inter-PML differences on the office of the secretary-general are being discussed, the National Alliance is reported to have proposed that for the time being the organizational structure should not be completed. It says that only Chaudhry Shujaat Husain should be elected president of the unified party and then an organizing committee be set up to run the party.

The National Alliance has already decided in principle to merge with the unified PML.

Observers say that the National Alliance also aspires to get some offices in the unified PML.

Chaudhry Shujaat Husain will take party's Senators and MNAs from the Punjab into confidence on various issues at a meeting at his residence on Sunday (today).