LAHORE, Jan 18: The process of unification of five factions of the Pakistan Muslim League made a considerable headway on Sunday as their leaders agreed to adopt the constitution of the PML-Q and increase the number of central council members to 1,500.

A leader told Dawn after the meeting that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who presided over the meeting, had directed all office-bearers of his party not to mention their faction in the press statements and identify themselves only as PML leaders.

He said that once the merger get completed meeting all the requirements of the Political Parties Order, the PML-N would be approched for unification. He said even the inactive individuals who have been associated with any faction of the PML in the past would be contacted and brought to the mainstream party.

It is said that the 1,500-member central council would elect all office-bearers afresh. However, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's presidency would only be ratified as he had already been accepted by all factions.

Those who participated in the meeting included Hamid Nasir Chattha, Ejazul Haq, Sheikh Sirajuddin, Senator S. M. Zafar, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Senator Tariq Azeem, Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, Saeed Ahmed Khan Manais, Alhaj Shamimuddin and Sheikh Imtiaz Ahmed. They belong to the PML-Q, PML (Chattha), PML (Jinnah), PML (Functional) and PML-Z.

A participant said, the party's constitution would be amended to raise the number of council members at the central and provincial levels, redesignate the organizing secretary as chief organizer and increase the number of vice-presidents and additional joint secretaries.

A source said that most of the offices of the unified party would go to the PML-Q as it was in power at the centre and in three provinces. The remaining factions would also be given reasonable representation in the organizational structure and their leaders would be accommodated. He said soon two meetings would be held to further discuss the unification.