KARACHI, Aug 4: A meeting in Islamabad on Friday between the high command of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League and the ‘forward bloc’ formed recently within the party’s Sindh chapter seems to have ended on a positive note.

According to Sardar Ali Gohar Mehar, who heads forward bloc, the meeting was ‘productive’. “We hope our reservations and grievances will be addressed soon in the light of the assurances given to us by President Gen Pervez Musharraf,” he said.

Sardar Mehar’s group is at odds with PML Sindh chief Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and the group took the shape of forward bloc while President Musharraf was in Karachi a few days back.

On Friday, the Sardar held a detailed meeting with PML chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in Islamabad. The 90-minute meeting was attended by Federal Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi, Sardar Ghous Bux Mehar, Dr Sohrab Serki, Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Senator Nisar A. Memon, Senator Yasmin Shah, Deputy Speaker of Sindh Assembly Rahila Tiwana, Alim Adil Sheikh and others.

The group briefed their party chief about the problems being faced by them in their respective constituencies owing to the policies and attitude adopted by Dr Arbab. The Sardar maintained that the differences with the provincial party chief forced members of his group to form the forward bloc and take their case to the central high command.

Talking to Dawn from Islamabad on Friday night, Sardar Mehar dispelled the impression that the forward bloc was an entity separate from the PML, clarifying that everyone in this bloc subscribed to the views and policies of President Musharraf and Chaudhry Shujaat.Regarding the meeting, he said it was held as per the president’s directive to the PML chief to address the grievances of various provincial and district leaders at the party level.

When asked about the nature of his reservations with Dr Arbab, Sardar Mehar said his group comprises two Senators, two federal ministers, three state ministers, four provincial ministers, and more than a dozen MPAs, as well as seven district nazims. Some of them, he added, had joined the PML after being persuaded by him. However, the party’s provincial chief was paying no attention to their grievances and genuine problems concerning their constituencies.

“After today’s meeting with the party high command, we are optimistic about resolution of the problems. If the assurances given to us by the president and party chief are honoured, there will be no need for us to indulge in groupings within the party.”

In reply to a question, he said that his group had not contacted the MQM on any issue. The MQM also not approached us either, he added. “The MQM follows its own policy and strategy,” he said, adding: “We hail from rural areas and have quite different issues… we would like to get our problems resolved at party level. As such, there is no question of our contacting other parties or groups.”