Pakistan's Peoples Party vice-chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim has offered to stand aside for Asif Ali Zardari in the race for premiership. The party said that it will announce a candidate for the top post by Thursday.

Fahim was initially a front-runner for the premiership but was sidelined by Zardari, party chairman and widower of former premier Benazir Bhutto [Images], following reports that he had secretly met President Pervez Musharraf [Images] and members of the military establishment.

After meeting Zardari late Monday night, Fahim said he had proposed that PPP co-chairman should become prime minister.

Asked by reporters after the meeting if he was still a candidate for premiership, Fahim said: "I told him (Zardari) that he should be the candidate for the post of prime minister, and we will all support you.

"I have made the proposal on my part, it is up to him to take a decision," he said.

There was no word from the party on Zardari's reaction to Fahim's proposal.

Shortly after Bhutto's December 27 assassination in a suicide attack, Zardari told reporters that Bhutto had wanted Fahim to be the party's candidate for prime minister. Fahim has in recent days expressed his unhappiness over Zardari's decision to delay naming the prime minister.

Banners were put up near parliament Monday as the national assembly met for its maiden session asking Fahim not to "betray" the party by insisting on premiership.

Senior PPP leader Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah has said that the nominee for premiership will be announced by March 20.

"The future prime minister will be announced by March 20. There are four to five candidates for the top slot and the final decision will be taken after consulting our coalition partners," he said.