US senators ask Zardari to ally with moderates
{image-zardari votes01_20022008smalll_20022008.jpg news.oneindia.in}Islamabad, Feb 20: A US senators' delegation met Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari here on Feb 19 and requested him to collaborate with moderates to form a democratic Government.
According
to
the
Daily
Times,
US
Ambassador
Anne
W
Palterson
who
also
part
of
the
delegation.
The
delegates
paid
their
condolences
to
Zardari
on
the
tragic
death
of
his
wife
and
former
Premier
Benazir
Bhutto.
Apart
from
Palterson,
the
delegation
included
former
US
presidential
candidate
Senator
John
Kerry,
Senator
Joseph
Biden
and
Senator
Chuck
Hagel.
In
a
mandate
against
army
rule,
Pakistan
on
Feb
19
returned
a
Parliament
hostile
to
President
Pervez
Musharraf,
handing
the
keys
of
a
fractured
House
to
his
bitter
foes,
the
PPP
and
the
PML-N,
to
form
a
coalition
government.
Pakistan ruling party concedes defeat
President Musharraf's worst fears were realised with the PPP and the PML-N marching ahead in the polls although neither party could gain an absolute majority. The PPP rode the sympathy wave which swept the nation after the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto to emerge as the single largest party in the national assembly with 87 seats.
Former premier Nawaz Sharif's PML-N took second honours with 66 seats while the PML-Q or the King's party, loyal to the President, trailed at third place with 38 seats. After the results poured out, Mr Sharif said the people's verdict was that President Musharraf had to go.
ANI