LAHORE: Former Punjab governor and disgruntled PML-N leader Sardar Zulfikar Khosa, former National Assembly speaker Hamid Nasir Chattha and others met at an iftar dinner on Friday. It is learned they discussed the prospects of forming a new faction of the Muslim League called United Muslim League, reportedly to be led by former army chief Pervez Musahrraf.

One of the participants told Dawn that the iftar dinner had been thrown by PML-Junejo leader Rizwan at his residence where disgruntled PML-N leader from Sindh Ghaus Ali Shah, PML-Functional’s Muhammad Ali Durrani and others were also in attendance.

The source said that Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and PML-Z president Ijazul Haq had also been invited to the huddle but they both declined to attend it, while the PML-Q had not been invited.

Mr Shah, however, left earlier to catch a flight for Saudi Arabia for performing Umra.

When contacted, Mr Khosa confirmed that various leaders had met at the iftar but denied that it was any formal meeting.

Asked if they had discussed unification of Muslim Leagues minus PML-N, he said “when people meet they discuss various issues from national to local and I cannot tell a lie by saying that we did not talk (on the specific issue)”.

Mr Durrani, a former federal information minister in Musharraf regime, denied that he was present in the meeting.

Samsam Bukhari, who recently joined the PTI, had said in an interview that some forces were working to form a new party to be led by retired Gen Musharraf.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2015

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