ISLAMABAD, May 20: The government on Sunday set conditions for talks between President General Pervez Musharraf and the opposition.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Durrani told newsmen that the opposition would have to publicly recognise the legitimacy of parliament if it wanted a direct dialogue with the president.

He pointed out that under the Constitution; parliament comprises the president, the Senate and the National Assembly.

Talking about PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s proposal that Gen Musharraf should convene a round-table conference to resolve various issues confronting the country, the minister said the government had convened a session of both houses of parliament on June 9 and all issues should be discussed in the house.

He urged the opposition to hold dialogue in parliament, instead of pursuing a policy of confrontation.

He said that the strengthening of national institutions was beneficial for all and no institution should be targeted for political gains.

“Strengthening judiciary, press and parliament is beneficial for the state and its people. It would be unfortunate if the entire process is exploited for petty political gains. There is a dire need to create a cordial environment for dialogue,” he said.

Since this was an election year, he said, all political parties should focus on ways of holding fair, free and impartial elections.

Replying to a question, he said the opposition was facing ‘deep divisions’ in its ranks.

About the Lal Masjid issue, Mr Durrani said the government was exercising restraint due to its respect for the mosque.

He said whatever was happening in and around the mosque in the name of Islam was unfortunate.

When asked if the authorities were considering to launch an operation against the Lal Masjid, he said this would depend on attitude of the Lal Masjid authorities.

He said that the exiled leadership should wait for the next polls and see what response they get from the people of Pakistan in the elections.

He urged Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to shun the politics of intrigues and adopt the policy of dialogue.

Commenting on a recent interview of President General Pervez Musharraf with a private TV channel, he said: “This was an interview of a bold, true and an open-minded statesman. His interview was a proof that the government does not want to hide anything from the people.”