LAHORE, Oct 27: Some important leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League are making efforts to unify the ruling party and the PML-N of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in an attempt to avoid what they call the split of the rightist vote which in their assessment would benefit their common rival Pakistan People’s Party in the triangular fight in the upcoming general elections.

A formula for the purpose is being conveyed to the exiled PML-N leadership for their consideration, knowledgeable ruling party sources told Dawn on Saturday.

The formula is that a committee having three representatives from each side should be constituted to run the party for an interim period and take all decisions during the elections.

The head of the committee should be someone acceptable to both factions.

The ruling party thinks that if the two factions of the PML contested the election from separate platforms, their votes would split, and the PPP would be the sole beneficiary.

Two Lahore-based PML-N leaders privately met a senior leader of the ruling party with the request that both sides should try to understand the political losses they may have to face at the hands of the PPP in case they failed to join hands.

Two central leaders of both the factions are expected to meet in about a week to discuss the matter further.

The ruling PML comprises leaders who had left the PML-N after the overthrow of the Nawaz Sharif government in October 1999. They have since been supporting President Musharraf, who calls the exiled PML-N leader as his enemy number one.

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who is also provincial president of the party, is of the view that the ruling PML is the real party and the PML-N leaders should join it. He insists that the Sharifs would not be returning to the country for another three years and thus their supporters should join the ruling party.

The PML-N leaders have been staunchly opposing any cooperation with the ruling party. However, it’s not clear if they would be flexible in the changed political situation.

A ruling party leader said on Saturday that he would advise both sides that in election campaign they should train their guns at the PPP, not at each other. Already, he said, the PML was not criticising the PML-N leaders.