LARKANA, Jan 18 The chief of the Sindh National Front, Mumtaz Ali Bhutto, has said that talks were in progress for the merger of his party and the Pakistan People's Party-SB. He expressed the hope that the talks would bear positive results soon.

He was talking to newsmen in New Gudd village, some 20km off here, after arriving here on Sunday to offer condolence over the death of SNF deputy secretary-general, Abdul Latif Bughio.

Mr Bhutto conceded that he and G.M. Syed had formed alliances but which could not survive for long because of personal interests.

He alleged that the rulers were trying to hush up the murder of Benazir Bhutto but they would not succeed.

The SNF chief said that consultations with lawyers were being held to register an FIR about the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. “We are waiting for an appropriate time for it so that the rulers could not spoil it like the murder case of Mir Murtaza Bhutto,” he said.

TRADER RECOVERED Larkana police claimed on Saturday to have recovered Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh, a petrol pump owner, who was kidnapped about a month ago from Larkana-Qambar road.

Larkana DPO Irfan Baloch said that the trader was recovered after a brief encounter from Badah-Bothro road. He said that another kidnap victim, Saleem Khuhro, who was still in the clutches of dacoits would soon be recovered.

However, rumours are rife in the city that Shoaib Shaikh's recovery has become possible after paying heavy ransom.