Islamabad, July 21
After three attempts. President Yahya Khan of Pakistan is still unable to find politicians to whom he can transfer power.

His latest move to encourage the three Muslim League parties to merge has started a squabble for leadership and strengthened the arguments of hard-line generals that power should not be transferred to a civilian administration.

After the military suppression of the Awami League, the President's first offer was to Mr Nur Ul Amin, the former Chief Minister of East Bengal, but he refused.

The President next turned to Begum Akhtar Suleiman, the daughter of the late Mr H. S. Suhrawardy, former Prime Minister of Pakistan. She gathered 110 signatures of Awami League members ready to support her, but only five of the signatories attended a meeting she called.

The fact that Muslim League politicians are active in both wings of the country gives it an advantage.

There are however three splinter Muslim parties: the Convention Muslim League which was formed by the deposed President Ayub Khan: the Council Muslim League: and the Muslim League headed by Khan Abdul Quaiyum Khan which, of the three, has the largest number of members elected to the National Assembly.

Shaikh Mujibur Rahman’s Awami League which had a majority of elected members, is outlawed. And Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the leader of the left-wing People’s Party which won the election in West Pakistan, is also thought to be out of the running.

Among the generals who insist that army rule should continue and that politicians are incompetent to tackle the problems of a country in crisis, are , Lieutenant-General Peerzada, principal staff officer to the President: General Hassan, holding a post at general headquarters : General Yakoob, who was initially sent to suppress the uprising in East Bengal; and General Tikka Khan, the Governor of East Bengal.

The prospect is that the deadline of four months or so set for the restoration of civilian rule in Pakistan may have to be postponed.—Asian News Service.