KARACHI, Oct 12: The Sindh Democratic Alliance has completed its formalities to get merge in the unified Pakistan Muslim League.

The merger decision was endorsed by its general council, which met at the residence of Mir Muhammad Khokhar on Sunday. The session was attended by 317 party members.

After the session, SDA chief Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh said that except Dr Arbab Rahim and Mir Murtaza Jatoi, who were conspicuous among the absentees, almost all members of the council and the central committee were present.

He said that the council had authorized him to formally announce the merger of SDA with the PML in the presence of Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali after the return of Shujaat Hussain from abroad.

Responding to questions, he said that Murtaza Jatoi had been representing the National Peoples Party in the alliance as such he was not directly concerned with the SDA decision. “However, Dr Arbab Rahim will be approached again to join the PML,” he added.

When asked about difference in the decision from the previous session of the council, Mr Shaikh said the council meeting was held to meet legal formalities. Besides, he said, another important aspect of the meeting was to give opportunity to all members to have interaction with the PML leaders and develop good working understanding.

The SDA chief was flanked by Secretary PML organizing committee Shaikh Sirajuddin and leaders of PML factions, including Capt Haleem Siddiqui, Sahibzada Munir Khan, and Senator Begum Tanveer Khalid.

He said that the merger decision was not meant for giving up the stand on issues concerning Sindh, but to make efforts for solving the problems on the national platform.

He made it clear that the resolutions adopted by the Sindh Assembly about Kalabagh dam and Thal canal issues fully represented the SDA views and the alliance would not disown them.

Secretary PML organizing committee Shaikh Sirajuddin said that all legal formalities would be completed by Nov 15 and the party would emerge as the unified league.

Commenting on the statement of Senator Nisar Memon that his Sindh organizing committee of PML(Q) existed, Mr Sirajuddin said when the central leadership had announced unification of their factions, headed by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, in the presence of Prime Minister Jamali at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad, how one could claim the committee to be operational.

“But, let them make claims, as everything would be clear when Mr Shujaat would return in a few days from abroad,” he remarked.