KARACHI, Sept 24: Unification of five PML factions has started casting its shadow on other minor parties in the Sindh coalition.

An invitation from the chief of the PML, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, to the coalition partners to join in the mainstream politics has suddenly evoked political circles’ deep interest in the merger politics.

Sindh appeared to be the first province where the Sindh Democratic Alliance (SDA), led by provincial minister Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh, is convening a meeting on Thursday to discuss Mr Hussain’s proposal, besides other affairs of the alliance.

Mr Shaikh, whose political skills has successfully enrolled six MPAs and three MNAs in his camp, told Dawn that the central committee of the SDA would be meeting at his residence on Thursday at 11am and that in addition to the members of the executive committee and district president, senior SDA leaders had also been invited.

Mr Shaikh denied having taken any individual decision saying that he believed in democratic dispensation. As such, he added, his party’s general secretary Alhaj Shamimuddin had called the meeting for a collective decision.

When asked about his reported differences with Arbab Rahim, the parliamentary leader of the alliance in the Sindh Assembly, over the SDA’s proposed merger with the PML, Mr Shaikh repeated that no decision had been taken so far on the issue and stressed that everything depended on the outcome of the Thursday’s meeting.

Replying to another question, he said that Arbab Rahim was invited to the meeting but he regretted that he would not be available as he would not be in the city.

When asked about the message reportedly communicated to Mr Shaikh by some officials of a sensitive agency, he denied having come across any official of any such agency. He pointed out that he had had a meeting only with Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar on Wednesday after calling on Pir Saheb Pagara to seek his blessings and guidance.

Meanwhile, Arbab Rahim, who is also a member of the SDA’s steering committee, told Dawn that he had to stay in Islamabad and would not be attending the meeting summoned by Imtiaz Shaikh.

He acknowledged his differences with the chief of the alliance over certain arbitrary decisions and said: “We are not in a hurry to take any decision. We have been elected on the SDA ticket and feel that any decisions should be taken after considering pros and cons of the issue.”

He, however, added that he would be coming to Karachi after two days to discuss issues with party colleagues and reach a conclusion.

Meanwhile, the SDA general-secretary, Alhaj Shamimuddin, termed a meeting at the residence of Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Wednesday as unconstitutional, illegal and unethical, says a SDA press release.

It adds that the meeting is of no importance because it was convened without permission from the president and the general secretary of the party. He said that five days ago at a SDA parliamentary meeting it was decided unanimously that a meeting of the central committee would be called.

He said that Mr Shaikh had always followed democratic norms and that was why, when invited to join the Muslim League by Chaudhury Shujaat Hussain, Mr Shaikh said that he would decide after consulting party leaders and activists.