Bhutto's party wants Musharraf ally in coalition

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The Pakistan People's Party of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto would like a small regional rival with ties to President Pervez Musharraf to join a coalition government, Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, said on Wednesday.

The PPP emerged with the largest number of seats in the National Assembly following a general election on Monday, but does not command a majority. Zardari said the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League was unwelcome in a coalition, but the PPP wanted the PML's junior partner in the last government, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, to join.

"I want to make a government along with the MQM," he told a news conference in Islamabad.

(Reporting by Zeeshan Haider)