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| 11 May 2004 | Tuesday | 20 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425 |
PML factions sort out differences
ISLAMABAD, May 10: Heads of five factions of Pakistan Muslim League and the Imtiaz Sheikh faction of Sindh Democratic Alliance on Monday decided to go ahead with their planned unification into Pakistan Muslim League without suffixes.
The issue of prime minister's candidature for the post of secretary-general of the unified PML never figured in the meeting held at the PM House and chaired by PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, official sources claimed.
The general councils of all the factions will meet separately at different places and different times in the federal capital on Tuesday to endorse the unification plan and dissolve their respective organizations for preparing to meet on May 12 to formally announce the unification.
The six-hour marathon meeting ended on a positive note as both Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and Chaudhry Shujaat said the factional leaders had taken all decisions in the spirit of mutual understanding and with consensus.
The mystery around details of the lengthy proceedings, however, remained unresolved as all the participants who could be contacted had put off their cellular phones and were not available at their residences till late Monday night.
Later, talking to the official electronic media, Mr Jamali said: "All faction heads had agreed today on the unification plan by dissolving their respective general councils in their separate meetings on Tuesday". He said the formal unification would become a reality on May 12 when a joint meeting of the general councils would endorse the unification plan.
In reply to a question about the distribution of party portfolios in the unified league, Mr Jamali said: "Chaudhry Shujaat and all other faction heads had unanimously decided to settle this issue by consensus".
Answering a question about the issue of holding party and public offices together, Mr Jamali said: "It involved amendments in the PPO as every party has its own constitution right now". He said all the faction leaders had decided to implement the S.M. Zafar formula for unification.
Chaudhry Shujaat said: "The councils of all the factions in their meetings on Tuesday would dissolve themselves after endorsing the unification plan and a formal announcement would be made the following day, May 12, when a joint meeting of general councils would be held.
Talking to Dawn, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said: "I am satisfied with today's lengthy proceedings of the meeting as it ended on a positive gesture". He said there was a consensus at the end that all factions of the PML should get united in order to re-enforce political stability in the country.
The distribution of party offices, he said, had been left to the party leadership to decide by consultation. Those who attended the meeting included the chief ministers of Sindh and Balochistan, Sardar Ali Mohammad Maher and Jam Mohammad Yusuf, respectively, Ijazul Haq (PML-Z), Chaudhry Hamid Nasir Chattha (PML-Junejo), Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo (PML-Jinnah), Sultan Mehmud Khan (PML-F), Gen (retd) Majeed Malik, Iqbal Dar, S.M. Zafar, Yahya Munawwar, Kunwar Qutbuddin, Tariq Azeem, Kamil Ali Agha, and Justice (retd) Abdul Razzaq Thaheem.
Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi who was among the invitees did not turn up. Before proceeding to the Prime Minister's House, Chaudhry Shujaat held a meeting with his political advisers at his residence. Those who attended the meeting included Gen (retd) Majeed Malik, Tariq Azeem, S.M. Zafar and Kamil Ali Agha.
There were unconfirmed reports that the faction heads were also taken to another place to meet some important 'people' where they were given a briefing on the overall political situation in the country and were advised to take joint steps for the good of the party.
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