ISLAMABAD, 27 May — Top leaders of rival factions of the Pakistan Muslim League held an informal meeting here on Friday to pore over issues of national importance.
During the talks, leaders of the two factions — Raja Zafarul Haq of the PML led by Sharif and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Ijazul Haq of the breakaway PML faction discussed Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s invitation to Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Afghan refugees’ problems and other issues.
“PML (N) Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq met us during Juma prayers and invited us to his office inside the premises of the Motamar Alam-e-Islami Mosque,” said Ijazul Haq, who is the vice chairman of the breakaway PML faction led by Mian Azhar. Zafar invited Shujaat Hussain, Ijazul Haq, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and Haji Gul Afridi to his office.
Shaikh Rashid Ahmed, Sardar Yaqoob Nasir and Basharat Jazbi assisted Zafar.
“The meeting was held on the heels of reports that relations between Mian Azhar and Chaudhry Shujaat and Pervez Elahi have soured. Shujaat, however, denied any rift among the leaders of the PML (Azhar faction).
Sources told Arab News that PML (A) leaders were against any move to unite PML factions while Mian Azhar has expressed his willingness to attend the June 3 meeting being held in Lahore by Pir Pagaro for the party’s unification.
In a related development, the PML (A) has assigned Ijazul Haq to name candidates to be pitted against PML (N) workers in Rawalpindi.
In Swabi, the swift developments that triggered a split in the Pakistan Muslim League, left many Sharif supporters confused whether to remain with Sharif’s party or switch over to the breakaway faction. After the emergence of the PML like-minded group, as it is called, Sharif supporters are undecided whether the power equilibrium would tilt in favor of PML(N) or PML (A). To woo leaders and workers, provincial president of Sharif’s PML Pir Sabir Shah and general-secretary Zafar Iqbal Jhagra, along with other prominent leaders of the party visited Swabi. The PML (A) leaders also visited Swabi later headed by Ijazul Haq.
Most of the leaders and workers supporting Sharif could not decide whether to join the new faction or remain loyal to Sharif’s party. The PML group supporting Sharif, meanwhile, reshuffled the party leadership in a bid to keep the party intact in Swabi.
