Coalition is short of majority to impeach Musharraf : Zardari

Islamabad, Feb 25 (UNI) Pakistan Peoples Party leader Asif Ali Zardari said his proposed coalition will be unable to impeach President Pervez Musharraf, and that he would instead seek a working relationship with the embattled leader.

''The ground reality is that we do not have two-thirds majority in both the houses of Parliament'' that would be required for a successful impeachment, he said in an interview to Wall Street Journal.

Mr Zardari, who led the Pakistan People's Party to victory in last week's general elections said: ''Our main objective is to work for the smooth transition to democracy.'' Replying to a question regarding a coalition government with PPP's longtime rival Pakistan Muslim League (N) led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the 52-year-old leader said: ''We want to unify the country, which is facing some very serious challenges, we have to establish democracy and for that we need unity and not confrontation.'' The PPP has not nominated its candidate for the top job of prime minister, but Mr Zardari confirmed that Mr Amin Fahim, a senior party leader from Sindh province, was the front-runner. ''We will name the candidate when the party is invited to form the government,'' he said in the interview whose excerpts were released by the Associated Press of Pakistan.

The leader also said he didn't have any intention of becoming prime minister, but would concentrate on party organisation and assist the government. Though leader of the party, he didn't seek a seat in Parliament in the election. ''It is more important to guide the government and the party,'' he said.

Speaking on the terrorism issue Mr Zardari made it clear that his government would increase cooperation with the U S , adding that Pakistan faces its own threat from the extremists.

''We are fighting our own war on terror, rather than the American war on terror,'' he said.

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