The two leaders made the announcement at a press conference in the presence of PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif. Mr Zehri also announced the merger of his party with the PML-N.

On the occasion he urged Mr Sharif to bring back Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf to Pakistan after coming into power, and put him on trial. He said the Baloch people were now looking up to Mr Sharif for resolving their problems as all other parties had failed to redress their grievances. Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch also reposed confidence in the leadership of Mr Sharif.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sharif said the government should have worked to redress the excesses committed against the Baloch in the past. He told media personnel that after its campaign for an independent judiciary his party would launch a drive to make the parliament as well as the federating units autonomous. He thanked Mr Zehri and Mr Baloch for joining the PML-N.

Earlier, the PML-N chief met former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association Ali Ahmed Kurd and senior vice-president of the National Party Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo to discuss the political situation with them.

He praised the role Mr Kurd played in the campaign for reinstatement of the deposed superior court judges. He said that only an independent judiciary could ensure provision of justice to the masses. Mr Sharif pledged that his party would continue to support the Supreme Court's verdicts.