A national conference of all factions of Pakistan Muslim League (PML) will be held in Islamabad in a fortnight to make PML the most formidable political force of the country. This was stated by PML (Q) Senator and former federal minister for provincial co-ordination Saleem Saifullah while talking to newsmen here on Monday.
Saleem who comes from one of the most influential and socially well connected political families of the NWFP, Saifullahs, has had meetings with PML (N) Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and discussed the unification idea and future set up of the Muslim League. Business Recorder has learnt that Mian brothers have given him go ahead signal to continue his bid and that they would fully cooperate with him.
Saleem said that veteran Muslim leaguers like Pir Sahib Pagaro, former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali and top leaders of PML (Q) and PML (N) would be invited in the national conference. He said PML leaders appreciate Editor-in-Chief of Nawa-e-Waqt and the Nation Majeed Nizami's efforts for unification of PML factions so that it could play its pivotal role to solve the country's chronic problems.
Saleem criticised Chaudhries of Gujrat for not taking the PML (Q) leaders into confidence before hobnobbing with the PPP leadership. "On one side we are making efforts for PML unification but on the other side Chaudhries are having dinners with President Zardari without taking the party into confidence," Saleem lamented. It may be added that there are simmering differences among the top leaders of PML (Q) over the politics and over bearance of the Chaudhries.
Saifullahs are among those PML (Q) leaders like Hamid Nasir Chattha. Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, Muhammad Ali Durrani and Majeed Malik who had revolted against Chaudhry Shujjat and Pervez Elahi and asked them to vacate the top offices of the party.
Saleem said both PML (N) and PML (Q) leaders should show flexibility for political accommodation in the greater interest of the country. However, he said, there are certain elements in both factions who are out to foil sincere efforts of well wishers of the country. He said Pakistan Muslim League is the majority party in the Senate. "If the two factions are united, or contest mid-term Senate elections in March from one platform, it would be able to secure a good number of 50 vacant seats.
Though Saleem clarified that he was not working on somebody's agenda with specific targets yet political analysts say that the united Muslim League would have sufficient number of MNAs and senators in the Parliament to challenge the PPP federal government.
Another old pal of Sharif Brothers and son of the former dictator General Ziaul Haq, Ejazul Haq has also had meetings with Nawaz and Shahbaz with the aim of unification of the two factions.
Analysts say that the tone and tenure of President Asif Ali Zardari's recent statements about Nawaz Sharif indicate that differences between the two mainstream parties have become irreconcilable and gulf would continue to widen in the future.