KARACHI, Sept 22 Pakistan Muslim League-F chief Pir Pagara has said prophecies of a revolution have “opened the eyes of all of us” and the situation called for unity.

Pir Pagara, whose party has of late been advising other PML factions to merge into an 'All Pakistan Muslim League (APML)', was talking to reporters after meeting a delegation of supporters of former president Pervez Musharraf here on Wednesday.

If Gen (retd) Musharraf wanted to join him, he would be welcome in the party as a member and it would depend on the PML council whether to give him any post, he said.

“A military general becomes redundant after retirement and has to start afresh.”

Pir Pagara dispelled a perception that the move for merger had the blessings of the Army's General Headquarters. On the contrary, it was the GHQ which was responsible for the break-up of Muslim League, he added.

The army had no role in the creation of Pakistan as it was the struggle of the Muslim League that compelled the English to concede the demand for Pakistan, he said.

Pir Pagara said PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had asked him to invite the PML-N chief to join his party, but so far he had not got in touch with Nawaz Sharif.

Asked about inviting both Mr Sharif and Gen (retd) Musharraf, he said the Muslim League did not bother who came and who did not.

He said since Gen (retd) Musharraf was a Muhajir, he could be fielded from any constituency in Karachi by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, recalling that former ministers Sher Afgan Niazi and Chaudhry Shahbaz had also offered their constituencies to the former president.

Pir Pagara said he would not commit himself to bailing out Pervez Musharraf if he was arrested on returning to the country. It was up to the former president to decide whether he would face the court or not, the PML-F chief said.

He said the Pakistan People's Party had no future and the MQM would have to come into PML's fold because at the end of the day only the Muslim League would survive and the army would be there to defend the country.

In reply to a question, Pir Pagara said he was not in a position to go to the army chief, but would certainly welcome him if he came to meet him.

He said he had advised Yousuf Raza Gilani (when he was a Muslim Leaguer) to join the People's Party because Mr Sharif had created a mess in the PML. “Mr Gilani will remain in power as long as he has the blessing of Allah, but rest assured the next prime minister will also be our man.”

Asked about the intention behind the move by Gen (retd) Mushharaf's supporters to name their faction as APML, he said it would come into being only after all factions joined forces.

Chaudhry Shahbaz said Pir Pagara had welcomed the former president's decision to enter politics.