LAHORE, May 30: The Pakistan People’s Party is reported to have almost reached a consensus to field its own candidate for the post of prime minister and not to give Imran Khan a chance to shine as the main force of opposition.

Most of the senior PPP leaders are learnt to have told President Asif Ali Zardari that it would be ‘disastrous’ for the party’s future if it voted for PML-N president Nawaz Sharif in the election for the post of prime minister.

In view of their opinion, President Zardari is likely to inform Mr Sharif about the party’s desire to field its own candidate just before the election. PPP Parliamentarians President Makhdoom Amin Fahim is being tipped as the party’s candidate.

“The PPP is likely to field its own candidate for the slot of the prime minister as it does not want to leave the field open for the candidates of other parties. However, a final decision will be taken by President Zardari,” PPP secretary general Latif Khosa told Dawn on Thursday.

The party, he said, had discussed whether to field its own candidate or to vote for Nawaz Sharif. There is almost a consensus that the PPP should field its own candidate because it is the second largest party in parliament and it should not appear to be subservient to any other party.

Mr Khosa said the PPP would play a constructive role in the opposition and would not allow anyone to thrive on its politics.

When asked whether the PML-N had ‘formally requested’ the PPP to vote for Mr Sharif, Mr Khosa said: “Yes, but the Charter of Democracy is no more there between us.”

Khurshid Shah is a PPP candidate for the post of leader of opposition.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has already fielded Makhdoom Javed Hashmi as its candidate for the post of prime minister.

The PPP has 38 and the PTI 33 members in the National Assembly.

Senior party stalwarts believe that voting for Nawaz Sharif will get them the label of ‘friendly opposition’. “I have told President Zardari in a recent meeting that we would harm ourselves if we vote for Mr Sharif,” a senior PPP leader from central Punjab told Dawn.

“Other leaders and I also told the president that the grassroots tier of the party also wants us to engage in aggressive opposition politics because of Imran Khan’s threat.We will not be considered to be in the opposition despite having our own opposition leader if we go soft on the PML-N,” he said.

On the other hand, the PML-Q which has two seats in the National Assembly has decided in principle to abstain during voting. “Both the PPP and PTI have contacted us but we have decided to abstain,” a PML-Q leader told Dawn.