The Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday held the PML unification application in conformity with provision of law and endorsed the resolutions of unification by three PML factions and Sindh Democratic Alliance into one party "Pakistan Muslim League."
The commission meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner, Chief Justice Irshad Hassan Khan (Retd) and three other members cited the unification as in conformity with the Article 4 of the Political Parties Act.
"There is no explicit or implied prohibition either in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 or in the Political Parties Order, 2002 or any other law for the time being in force for unification/merger of the political parties," the commission observed.
Three members of the Election Commission who attended the meeting included Justice Nasim Sikandar, Justice Qazi Ehsanullah Qureshi and Justice Mohammad Sadiq Leghari while Justice Ahmed Khan Lashari could not be present due to indisposition of his mother.
The application for endorsement of unification decision was filed by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, S.M. Zafar advocate, Mohammad Ali Durrani, Kamil Ali Agha, Syed Mushahid Hussain, Begum Shahnaz Sheikh, Sardar M. Sanaullah Khan Mastikhail, Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, Mohammad Ijaz-ul-Haq and Munwar Qutubuddin Khan on behalf of the respective PML factions including PML-(Q) PML -Zia), PML-(Jinnah), PML-(Junejo) PML-(Functional) and Sindh Democratic Alliance (SDA).
The commission validly considered the resolutions passed by these faction to dissolve their parties in the Central Executive Council meetings and make take decision to merge/unify with the PML-(Q) to form Pakistan Muslim League.
The commission also quoted the resolution no 1 of 2004 of the Council of Pakistan Muslim League (Junejo) and mentioned to similar other resolutions passed by other factions.
The PML-(Q), to facilitate merger/unification4 at its Council meeting amended its constitution and by the Resolution of the Council of Pakistan Muslim League as reconstituted in terms of the amendment as aforesaid, the unification/merger of the said political parties was approved in a meeting of the Council on May 12, 2004 and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was elected its president.
"Accordingly, Pakistan Muslim League (QA) and the above cited parties have now all united in "Pakistan Muslim League," the commission observed in its order.
The applicants also filed five resolutions passed by the respective councils of the PML factions, amended Constitution of Pakistan Muslim League and information regarding the election of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as president of Pakistan Muslim League.