December 29, 2008	Monday	Zilhaj 30, 1429

LAHORE, Dec 28: Punjab Governor Salman Taseer went to the residence of PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi amid reports about a thaw in relations between the two main factions of Pakistan Muslim League.

If seen in the context of President Asif Ali Zardari’s indirect criticism of the PML-N in his speech on Saturday at a meeting held to mark Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary in Naudero, it was a significant development. “Unwise friends should not joke with the country,” Mr Zardari had said in a clear reference to the PML-N leadership.

Nawaz Sharif and Pervaiz Elahi reportedly met at a wedding in Dubai on Friday and later travelled to Pakistan together by the same flight.

Governor Taseer was sent from Naudero to the Lahore residence of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to see if the Q-League could be disengaged from a possible merger, or at least on talks for an alliance with the PML-N.

A PML-Q leader told Dawn that Mr Taseer had visited the Zahoor Ealhi Road residence of Pervaiz Ealhi in his own car without a security detail. The meeting, also attended by party president Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Moonis Ealhi (son of Pervaiz Elahi), lasted more than an hour.

The decided not to announce the news of their meeting, but an ‘insider’ leaked it to the media. He said that media reports about the Pervaiz-Nawaz meeting in Dubai and matters concerning the Punjab government were discussed.

“Another Taseer-Elahi meeting is expected in a few days,” the PML-Q leader said.

Moonis Elahi rejected reports that the governor’s visit had anything to do with any particular ‘political development’. “It was a routine visit. We have close relations with Mr Taseer,” he said.

The younger Elahi described the presence of Nawaz Sharif and Pervaiz Ealhi and their ‘near and dear ones’ in the business class of the Lahore-bound flight of a foreign airline as a mere ‘coincidence’. They “did not talk” during the two-and-half-hour flight, he said.

A thaw in relations between the two factions of the PML started when Mr Sharif and Chaudhry Shujaat met at a conference convened by the PPP government to discuss the threat of Indian attacks. The two sides came closer at the Dubai wedding when, thanks to a common friend, Mr Sharif and Mr Elahi met there.

Although Mr Sharif did not mention the Dubai talks at a ‘consultative’ meeting of all available party elders he convened immediately after returning home on Saturday, he said he was hopeful of a merger of both the factions because the other side (the PML-Q) was willing to join hands with its ‘natural allies’, said a PML-N source.

The former prime minister is reported to have said that the PML-Q was ready to publicly admit that it had “sinned by supporting an army general (Pervez Musharraf)” and it would “not repeat the mistake”. (Chaudhry Shujaat did in fact utter words to that effect while talking to a private TV channel here on Sunday night.)

Stressing the need for the merger and silence any voice of dissent, Mr Sharif made it clear that the PPP leadership had not left any other option open for him, the source said.

According to him, the PML-N chief did not expect a favourable decision on his qualification case, which would be heard by a court on Jan 5; he was also not hopeful about the implementation of the Charter of Democracy.

One of the major hurdles the two leaders are reported to have discussed was the legal aspect of the proposed merger — the two factions are enrolled as separate entities with the Election Commission and had contested the polls on different election symbols.

It is believed that in order to accommodate Pervaiz Elahi, the most powerful Q-League leader, some prestigious party office, if not the post of the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (which he had been holding before it was assigned to Nisar Ali Khan when the PML-N left the coalition with the PPP at the Centre), would have to be offered.

With nearly three months left for Senate elections, the PML-N and PPP have intensified their contacts with the PML-Q.

“The PML-Q has suddenly become important for the PML-N and PPP,” a source said, adding both the parties were making ‘lucrative offers’ to the Q-League to secure its support. “The PML-Q is weighing all options. It is in no hurry to join hands with any of them,” a party insider said.

While some elements in the PML-N want an alliance or a merger with the PML-Q, others are opposing the idea even at the cost of losing the Punjab government.