ISLAMABAD, July 20: Pakistan People's Party has asked Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to recognize the true opposition leadership, if he was sincere in his offer of talks to create national harmony.

PPP spokesperson Farhatullah Babar, in a statement here on Tuesday, said every citizen had the right to answer his conscience in determining where the best leadership lay.

The continued attempts to subvert the conscience, sabotage the freedom of political expression and destroy political parties by seeking to corrupt their members through horse-trading and offering bribes of government positions was leading to dishonesty, immorality and the collapse of institutions in the country.

He was commenting on the interim premier's statement that he was ready for talks with the opposition on the condition that the opposition rose above party interests. By this the interim premier was asking the parliamentary cadre to abandon its party leadership, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

The inability of the regime to accept pluralism and dissent has led to the crushing of political parties and to a dangerous situation where underground militant groups are benefiting.

The spokesperson said Chaudhry Shujaat, being a parliamentarian, should appreciate that Pakistan can only develop strong institutions when dissent is tolerated and where Opposition is accepted as Opposition.

He said that Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is the popular leader of Pakistan. Those defecting from her leadership of the PPP were betraying the people who had given them the votes.

It may be recalled that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had said that if we can open a dialogue with India we can also discuss the issues of national interest with the opposition.

However, his noble sounding words were soon overshadowed by more sinister designs to hijack the Opposition when he said the Opposition would have to rise above party interests to benefit from his offer for talks.

The spokesperson said by asking the parliamentary cadre to dump its leadership, principles, policy, manifesto and ideology, Mr Shujaat was reflecting the views of the vested interests which believed that political parties were groupings of power-seeking elites without integrity or political commitment.

He said the PPP and its workers were committed to the vision of a democratic, federal Pakistan where the Constitution was revived, parliament sovereign, courts independent, Election Commission impartial, provinces autonomous and people emancipated from backwardness, poverty, unemployment and hunger.

Pakistan has been rocked with political instability and rigging of referendum, general elections and bye-elections. The rigging has undermined the Election Commission and it has led to political manipulation by the intelligence services.

The politicised role of the intelligence services has in turn led to the collapse of intelligence in sensitive areas like Wana and Karachi where terrorism and foreign insurgents have flourished.

The spokesperson said Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain should focus on internal stability by inviting back the exiled premiers and accepting the fact that the majority of the people stood with them.