ISLAMABAD: PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari has the backing of Pakistan's opposition MQM party for the post of President, the opposition said on Wednesday.
Though Zardari recently ruled himself out from the presidential race, MQM chief Altaf Hussain proposed his name for the post, which fell vacant following the resignation of Pervez Musharraf on Monday.
Hussain said he was backing Zardari -- a Sindhi -- as his selection "would serve the need to find a President from a small province".
Senior MQM leader Farooq Sattar said Zardari was a suitable candidate due to his abilities to "handle crises in an amicable and judicious way".
Zardari had also promoted the atmosphere of national reconciliation and harmony after winning the polls, he said.
Other MQM leaders backed Zardari for his "sacrifices" for ushering in democracy and for his role in ensuring Musharraf's ouster from office.
Though the MQM is in the opposition at the centre, it is a key partner in the PPP-led coalition government in Sindh province. It had also announced that it would abstain if an impeachment motion was moved against Musharraf in Parliament.
Responding to the MQM's proposal, Zardari thanked Altaf Hussain for his "positive role during the political developments of the last few days that led to the resignation of Musharraf".
In a statement issued by the PPP, Zardari said Altaf Hussain and MQM played "a crucial role in the mediation efforts towards obtaining the resignation and ensuring a peaceful exit for the former President.
"These efforts for strengthening democracy in Pakistan are commendable and must be appreciated."
The PPP and its main ally PML-N have begun lobbying for their candidates for the post vacated by Musharraf on Monday to avoid impeachment by the ruling coalition.
PPP leaders have been projecting National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza and Zardari's sister Faryal Talpur as possible candidates for the post.
PML-N leaders have suggested that the coalitions presidential candidate should be from impoverished Balochistan province rather than the more powerful Punjab or Sindh provinces, leading to some quarters backing Baloch national leader Ataullah Mengal for the post.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had said recently that the next President would be from his party while Zardari indicated that a woman could be the party's presidential candidate. Zardari also said the PPP had the right to nominate its candidate to the post as it was the largest party in the ruling coalition.
Meanwhile, Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has said the ruling coalition should select the next President from one of the smaller provinces in the interest of "national cohesion and strengthening democracy".
