ISLAMABAD, June 1: The two factions of the Pakistan People's Party formally announced their merger back into one party with the name Pakistan People's Party (PPP), here on Tuesday.

The announcement was made at an open convention here on Tuesday which was attended by all prominent members of the PPP-S and the Patriots factions. The office-bearers of the new party were also nominated in the convention.

Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal has been made chairman, Federal Minister for Water and Power Aftab Sherpao has been appointed as president, Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Chaudhry Nourez Shakoor as senior vice-president and Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat as the secretary general of the new party.

Party workers kept raising slogans of "Jiye Bhutto" throughout the proceedings which continued for about four hours. Speaking on the occasion, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Raza Hayat Haraj said today was a historical day as the party which was founded by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was being revived.

He said that they would keep supporting Prime Minister Jamali to strengthen democracy in the country. Punjab Environment Minister Makhdoom Ashfaq said the army had to intervene due to some mistakes committed by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

He asked Ms Bhutto to remain outside the country and leave the party. He said the party would accomplish "Bhutto's mission with Musharraf's vision." Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources and newly-appointed senior vice-president of the PPP Chaudhry Nourez Shakoor said after the October 2002 elections they had visited Asif Zardari in jail and informed him about their decision of parting ways with the party.

The newly-appointed president of the PPP, Aftab Sherpao, said they had formed a party for which Hayat Sherpao gave his life and for which all of them had given their blood. He said had Benazir Bhutto not changed the name of the party, they would have not adopted this name.

Mr Sherpao said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had formed this party for the labourers, workers, farmers and poor of this country. He vowed to run the party on the philosophy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal said political parties were undergoing a phase of integration, which was based on the assumption that less the number of political parties, the system would be more stable. He said the new party would play a leading role in the national development, unity and prosperity of the country.