Pakistans two biggest parties should ally: Poll

An opinion poll on Saturday showed that an alliance between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, two biggest groups opposed to President Pervez Musharraf, was the preferred choice of Pakistani voters.

Islamabad, Feb 23 : An opinion poll on Saturday showed that an alliance between the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, two biggest groups opposed to President Pervez Musharraf, was the preferred choice of Pakistani voters.

The Gallup poll suggested an alliance between the PPP and the PML-N was the preferred choice of people.

Forty percent of the PPP voters said that the PML-N was their second choice and 45 percent vice versa.

Some 35 percent of PPP voters and 25 percent of PML-N voters declined to give a second preference in the poll, held on the day of the election.

The Gallup did not say how big its sample was, The News reported.

For much of last year an alliance between the PPP and the PML-N seemed unlikely.

If they forge a coalition, it will be the first time in Pakistan's history that the two main parties have come together.

In one early sign of cooperation -- and one that spells trouble for Musharraf -- the PPP and the PML-N have agreed in principle to restore judges Musharraf fired when he imposed emergency rule in November 2007.

ANI