Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday made a conditional offer to the leaders, who had ditched it following the military coup in 1999 and created a new party from within the PML-N under the patronage of the then military dictator General Musharraf, to accept them in its fold provided they tender unconditional apology for their past mistakes and accept the leadership of Nawaz Sharif.
"Those who are ready to tender apology for their past mistakes and accept leadership of Mian Nawaz Sharif, would be welcomed into PML-N folds," said PML-N's spokesman Siddique-ul-Farooq, while talking to Business Recorder following the merger of four factions of Pakistan Muslim League on Friday.
The four factions of Pakistan Muslim League on Friday announced to merge and cerate Muttahida Muslim League. A nine-member steering committee headed by former Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali was constituted for persuading rest of the League's factions including PML-N to join the united league.
Farooq said that the PML-N was a major democratic party and it was not possible for it to join such forces who had supported military dictator. But, he added, the party would welcome all those who tender unconditional apology for their past mistakes and accept the leadership of PML-N chief wholeheartedly.
He played down the merger announcement of different PML factions, saying that these are not popular parties. "The factions headed by Sheikh Rashid and Ijaz-ul-Haq are 'one-man' parties and they don't not have roots in masses," he said, adding that Pir Pagara group has five members in National Assembly. One can easily imagine what weightage these parties have? He said that PML-N, which has over 90 members in the National Assembly, has its own principled stance on various issues of national interest, which can't be compromised for timely benefits.
To a question regarding the recent meeting of Law Minister Babar Awan with PML-Q's leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Farooq said that Elahi alone would not be able to support the already 'failed' government. He termed PPP-led government as one of the world's most corrupt governments.