ISLAMABAD, March 21: The government on Wednesday offered dialogue to the legal community to resolve the judicial crisis currently gripping the country. "I invite lawyers to discuss the issue as constitutional matters cannot be resolved on streets," Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani said at a press conference.

He said the government held the judiciary in high esteem and recognised that its responsibility was to protect the constitution.

He stressed that no supra-constitutional step had been taken by the government, adding that the “suspension” of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, who was later sent on forced leave, was not meant to victimise anyone.

He alleged that the opposition wanted to pit the bar against the bench to achieve its “negative objectives”.

He said the opposition's campaign was against the “legal and constitutional system” and it was trying to obstruct the process of progress and development.

He expressed gratitude to lawyers for distancing themselves from the opposition's strike call aimed at achieving “personal interests.”

Senator Durrani said that the government held dialogue with the opposition in the past and it was ready to discuss the issue with the lawyers’ community as well.

He expressed the hope that the government would succeed in convincing the lawyers’ community that the government did not want to victimise anybody.

“We are sure that better sense will prevail as the lawyers are an educated and civilised community," he said, adding that it was against the national interest to go for confrontation with any party or group. He claimed that the opposition’s strike call had been “completely rejected” by the people.

He said the opposition could assemble only some politicians and flags on Wednesday which clearly showed that the people had rejected the “conspiracy” against the government's agenda of national progress.

He said the print and electronic media had reflected the poor performance of the opposition which was a proof that the people were against the opposition's “negative tactics”.