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| January 19, 2007 | Friday | Zilhaj 28, 1427 |
Patriots and PML hold merger talks: Three legislators join PML
ISLAMABAD, Jan 18: Pakistan Peoples Party (Patriots) leaders from Punjab have started merger talks with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and a formal announcement is likely on Saturday at a news conference.
Sources said on Thursday that President Gen Pervez Musharraf had given the splinter faction choice to merge with the PML to boost its chances of success in the next general elections.
Late on Thursday, MNAs Nisar Ahmed Jatt and Raees Munir Ahmed and Makhdoom Ashfaq Ahmed, a Punjab minister, announced joining the PML in the presence of Chaudhry Shujaat.
On the other hand the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had refused to hold talks on the merger issue and even disagreed with an idea of electoral alliance in Sindh.
PPP-S chief Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao in a meeting with ruling PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had said that his faction would contest next elections as a separate entity but offered to cooperate with official candidates on seat-to-seat arrangement, the sources added.
The Patriots faction of the PPP was desperate to merge with the PML but first it members wanted to get guarantees like tickets and some party offices in Punjab.
Another reason for the exigency, the sources said, was that the People’s Party Parliamentarians had refused to take them back before the next elections to ensure party ticket and win. It was particularly true in case of Faisal Saleh Hayat, a traditional political rival of Abida Hussain who has since joined the PPP-led by Benazir Bhutto.
PML leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Mushahid Hussain and Tariq Azim were engaged in talks with Faisal Saleh Hayat, Raza Hayat Hirraj and others, and had invited newsmen for a joint news conference in the afternoon.
The press conference was later cancelled as Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi could not turn up.
The sources said though the two sides were optimistic about a deal, there were some difficulties in finalising it.
An important member of the PPP’s runaway faction Dr Sher Afgan Khan Niazi had already announced joining the PML even if others did not follow suit.
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