Pir Pagara unsure of continuing alliance with PPP, says elections in one year unlikely

Says will merge party with all factions of Muslim league if they chose to join hands to create one party.

KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League – Functional (PML-F) leader Pir Pagara has alleged that general elections will not be held within one year and says that it would be too early to say whether his party will continue its alliance with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Speaking to reporters after an Iftar dinner by Chaakar Khan Shahani, a landlord of Dadu district, Pir Pagara said that President Asif Ali Zardari wishes to continue the alliance but the local leadership of PPP continues to defy his orders.

Pagara said that he would continue the mission of his father Shah Mardan Shah (Pir Pagara VII) and would merge his party with all factions of Muslim league if they chose to join hands to create one party.

“Different theories and perception have come to the fore, but ground realities say the general elections are further away than March,” he said, adding, “Politics means give and take and my party has always supported others, but the time has now come to gain support and help in the future setup of the government.”

To a question regarding his election alliance with PML-Q (Likeminded), the PML-F leader said that former chief minister Sindh and Likeminded leader Arbab Ghulam Rahim continuously phoned him from UAE to make an alliance with his party.

“How could I have refused in this situation?” he asked.

A day earlier, Pir Pagara had expressed his concern over the attitude of ruling PPP leaders on not taking his party into confidence on the upcoming local government system.