ISLAMABAD, March 12: Pakistan People’s Party’s senior vice-chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said that he is not only a contender but a ‘strong candidate’ for the office of the prime minister.

“Indeed, I am a candidate for the premiership. Rather I am a strong candidate,” Mr Fahim told media after meeting PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari at a dinner hosted by the latter.

Mr Fahim denied reports about differences between him and Mr Zardari. “There is no deadlock. I have no differences with Asif,” he said.

There was no official comment from the party on the meeting.

Mr Fahim said he would meet Mr Zardari again. “We will decide after mutual consultation as to who will become the prime minister.”

In reply to a question, he said if Mr Zardari expressed his desire to become the prime minister, “I will myself propose his name for the office as the president of the People’s Party Parliamentarians.”

Mr Fahim is the president of the PPP-Parliamentarians registered with the Election Commission which took part in the elections in 2002 and 2008. Under the law, the head of the party that emerges as the largest group in the National Assembly is asked by the president to form government and prove majority in the house.

Reports about differences between the two leaders had been circulating in the media but they came to the surface when

Mr Fahim missed the talks between leaders of the PPP and the PML-N held in Murree on March 9.

There were reports that Mr Zardari was unhappy with Mr Fahim over his alleged meetings with officials of intelligence agencies and some bureaucrats without his permission.