Tuesday, March 15 2005 15:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Dubai: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's husband Asif Ali Zardari has said he has no plans to take over leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on his return home next month.

"There is only one leader in the PPP and that is Benazir," Zardari said in an interview, adding he saw himself as a "good aide and can be a good pointsman".

He said to take over leadership from Bhutto, "one must first be deserving and then comes desire. I do not match up to that merit. I don't even intend to take over Makhdoom Amin Fahim's position. He is doing exactly what the party has asked him to, and I can work under him too," he told Khaleej Times.

About political alliances with Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Zardari said PPP will cooperate with it in the forthcoming polls to local bodies next month.

On his return to Pakistan, he said April 16 is a definite date for my return. "It coincides with the date when Benazir Bhutto landed in Lahore (in 1986 during Gen Zia-ul-Haq's rule)."

Asked if the Government has been in touch with the PPP, Zardari said, "That is a million dollar question that I can't answer. We are always engaged in trying to convince them of our point of view, and are hopeful of bringing them around to accepting it."

He said Pakistan needed a fresh mandate since "the deck of cards is ready to collapse", adding PPP manifesto makes a point about the tenure of the Government, and we are willing to debate a three-year tenure.

"The Government's position is that elections will be held in 2007, while my position is that 2005 should be the election year," he added.