Zardari rejects offer to become Pakistan PM

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has rejected an offer from the establishment to head a proposed national reconciliation government, media reports said on Saturday.

"Zardari has been indirectly (urged) to become the prime minister of Pakistan for a one-year interim period, heading a government of national reconciliation, but he has summarily dismissed the suggestion," The News said.

It quoted 'well-informed sources' as saying that those close to the Pakistani establishment had approached Zardari and suggested that the upcoming elections could be delayed for an year and a broad-based national government formed instead if he agreed to become the Prime Minister.

But Zardari made it clear that he wanted the Feb 18 elections to be held as scheduled. He added that he would only look after his party, said the newspaper.

According to sources close to Zardari, the PPP will be interested in forming a government of national reconciliation but only after winning a majority of seats in the elections.

Zardari has been quoted as saying that he would prefer to form a government with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Awami National Party (ANP) and other nationalist parties after the elections.

Zardari will restart the election campaign of the PPP from the same Liaquat Bagh ground in Rawalpindi next month where his wife and PPP leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Dec 27.