PPP decides to nominate Zardari for PM: Daily

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), set to head the new coalition government, is understood to have in principle decided to nominate Asif Ali Zardari for premiership, a post he will be eligible to occupy only after his election to the National Assembly.

The PPP was also offering Makhdoom Amin Fahim, till recently the front-runner for the top post, the position of party leader in the National Assembly and his son the post of adviser to the premier with the status of a federal minister, the Daily Times claimed in a report today.

Zardari, the co-chairman of the PPP, "has assigned a senior party leader to convey this offer to Amin Fahim and return with a response soon," a source at Zardari House was quoted as saying by the paper.

Fahmida Mirza, Azra Pechooho (sister of Asif Ali Zardari) and Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah were among those in line for the interim prime ministership pending Zardari's election to the National Assembly, the report added.

"The offer was extended to Fahim after the party's ranks and its would-be coalition partners expressed reservations over the nomination of the Pakistan Peoples Party senior vice-chairman (Fahim) as the party's nominee for the office of prime minister," said the source at Zardari House.

Sources said Fahim, a loyalist of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto, was offered the post of parliamentary leader in view of his long association with the party. The offer was also aimed at avoiding differences within the party, the daily said.

During yesterday's meeting of the PPP's newly-elected lawmakers, most participants said they would accept Zardari's decision on the prime ministerial candidate with some of them urging him to take the post to avoid intra-party splits, said a new parliamentarian who was present at the meeting.

"To this, Zardari said he would take a final decision at the time of the election of the Leader of the House in the National Assembly," said the parliamentarian.

Meanwhile, Fahim expressed ignorance about any development regarding Zardari's nomination, but insisted he had no differences with the Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman.

Separately, Pakistan Peoples Party Secretary General Jehangir Badr also favours Zardari for the post. "It will keep the party united and carry forward the legacy of the Bhuttos," he was quoted as saying.