DACCA: Four parties — the National Democratic Front, pro-PDM Awami League, Nizam-i-Islam and Justice Party — today [June 24] announced their merger into one political party to be called the Pakistan Democratic Party. With the formation of the new party, the four merging parties ceased to exist from today.

The sponsors of the merger claimed national character for their new party saying it was not a regional party and that it would try to solve all national problems in a spirit of amity and friendship. The merger of the four parties into “one integrated democratic party on national basis” was announced in a joint communique at the resid­ence of the NDF leader. Mr Nurul Amin, Mr Nurul Amin of the NDP, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan of pro-PDM Awami League, Chaudhri Mohammad Ali of the Nizam-i-Islam party and Air Marshal Asghar Khan signed the communique on behalf of their respective parties. Meanwhile, the manifesto committee, set up earlier, would meet in Abbottabad on July 11 to work out the manifesto.

All the leaders who signed the joint communique were present at the Press conference and answered questions. ... Mr Nurul Amin said the new party had not taken any decision on the question of general elections [but] stressed they wanted elections as early as possible and without further delay. — Correspondent

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2019