The Pakistan People's Party could accept Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Nawaz Sharif as the next prime minister of the country.

In a related development, the PPP's central executive committee has decided that Asif Ali Zardari will not be prime ministerial candidate.

"My party is comfortable with the idea of Nawaz Sharif becoming the prime minister," he told private Indian television channel CNN-IBN in an interview.

Contending that both parties could come together for governance, Zardari said since no party had got a clear mandate, there is a need for reaching out to all parties and he is relying on Nawaz Sharif 'to do that'.

His comment comes a day before he engages the PML-N chief in a crucial meeting on their future course of action.

However, not ruling out arriving at a agreement with embattled President Pervez Musharraf [Images], Zardari confirmed that he had not met Musharraf yet, 'but is open to having a dialogue with him.'

Terming the poll results a victory for assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto [Images] and the family, he expressed satisfaction with the poll results as the party 'fought against all odds.'

However, he said he was not sure if his party would be in power or in opposition.

"PPP was the single largest party last time also, yet could not form the government," he recalled.

The PPP is the largest party in the 272-member National Assembly with 87 seats, followed by the PML-N with 64, while the former ruling party -- the PML-Q -- languishes at the third position with 38. The rest have been won by smaller parties and independents.