PESHAWAR, Dec 7: Allauddin Khan, a former deputy speaker of the NWFP Assembly and a member of Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao), on Thursday announced that he was rejoining People’s Party-Parliamentarians along with his relatives and friends.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Khan claimed that he had always been striving to reunite the two factions of the PPP and said that he had been part of the mainstream Pakistan Peoples’ Party for a long time.

“I supported Mr Sherpao because I thought his struggle was a just one, but when Mr Sherpao contested polls from a separate platform I stopped taking part in political activities. During the past four years, I have had no contact with Mr Sherpao,” he said.“Now I announce rejoining the Peoples’ Party Parliamentarians along with my friends and relatives,” he declared.

Welcoming Mr Khan’s decision to rejoin his party, provincial president of the PPP-P Rahimdad Khan claimed the party was a major one which would always strive for the people’s welfare.

Referring to the return of former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, he said: “If (President) Musharraf wants real democracy, he would have to allow mainstream political parties to take part in general polls. And being leaders of the major political parties, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif should take part in the elections,” he remarked.

Referring to Mr Sharif’s proposal regarding formation of a single opposition platform, Mr Rahimdad said that an alliance was not possible but a seat-to-seat adjustment could be made.

He said that his party was not in favour of resignation. “We do not want to leave the ground open for a military dictator,” he said.

About the issue of alleged bomb plantation outside CM Secretariat by an employee of Intelligence Bureau, he said the federal government should clarify the actual situation.

Provincial senior vice-president of the party Syed Qamar Abbas and secretary information Khwaja Yawar Naseer also attended the meeting.