ISLAMABAD, June 17: The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday allowed the newly merged political entities headed by Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and Rao Sikandar Iqbal Khan to be registered under the name of Pakistan People's Party.

"Under Article 6 of the Election Commission Order, 2002, read with Article 9B, we grant the applications for the merger and order that the documents of Pakistan People's Party filed with EC be kept on record under Article 4(3) of Political Parties Order, 2002.

"The certificate of intra-party election and details of election of the party is ordered to be published in the official gazette," a seven-page order of the election commission said while deciding applications of Aftab Sherpao and Rao Sikandar in which they had requested the registration of newly-formed political party.

In separate applications, both had asked the EC to declare their new party as Pakistan People's Party (PPP), formed as a result of the merger of Pakistan People's Party (Sherpao) and Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (Patriots) on June 1, 2004.

"Till date no association of citizens or a combination or groups of such associations or a political party has filed a copy of its constitution to EC, under the name and style of PPP," the order said.

The order said that under Article 4(2) of the Political Parties Order, 2002, it was mandatory for every political party to provide a copy of its constitution to the EC.

"Clearly, in circumstances, there is no bar for the formation of a new political party under the name and style of the PPP in consequence of merger of the two parties under the scheme of the PPO," the order said.