Pakistan president names aide to succeed governor

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari appointed close aide Latif Khosa on Tuesday to succeed the murdered governor of the biggest province of Punjab as his government recovers from a week-long political crisis.

The outspoken governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, was gunned down by his bodyguard for his opposition to the country's controversial blasphemy law last week.

"The president has approved the name of Latif Khosa as governor of Punjab a short while ago," Zardari's spokesman Farhatullah Babar told Reuters.

Taseer's murder came as Zardari's coalition was struggling to avoid collapse following the defection of one of its main allies to the opposition.

Political stability in Pakistan is seen by the United States as key to maintaining the war effort in Afghanistan and curbing militant activities in Pakistan's ungoverned border regions.

The choice of Taseer's successor was crucial for Zardari. Punjab is the most populated province in Pakistan and its political nerve centre.

Politics in Punjab, which has 183 members in the 342-seat National Assembly, has traditionally dominated the national political scene.

The choice of Khosa could mean Zardari is seeking to cool temperatures with Nawaz Sharif, the main opposition leader and one of the most popular politicians in Pakistan whose party dominates the provincial coalition. The central government is led by Zardari's Pakistan People's Party.

Taseer was fiery and often clashed publicly with Sharif and his brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shabaz Sharif. Khosa, on the other hand, is soft-spoken and non-confrontational. But he is an ardent supporter of the PPP.

On Sunday, Zardari's government accepted a list of demands from Sharif, including a reversal of fuel price increases, cutting government spending by 30%, firing "corrupt" officials and forming an independent election commission and accountability body in a bid to defuse the political turmoil.

Zardari's beleaguered government received a major reprieve on Friday when the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the second biggest coalition partner, which had bolted to the opposition on January 2, rejoined the government.

Though the political crisis triggered by the MQM's defection has been defused to a large extent, political stability in Punjab is vital to ensure the smooth running of Zardari's government.