ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Saturday held a 100-minute meeting with the opposition leader in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rahman , to persuade him to give up the planned movement against the government and attend the Nov 25 National Security Council meeting.

Maulana Rahman and NWFP Chief Minister Akram Durrani had stayed away from the first NSC meeting a couple of months back under a decision of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal's supreme council.

While the premier was alone, Maulana Rahman was accompanied by Mr Durrani in the meeting. Talking to newsmen later, the prime minister termed the meeting positive and cordial and said a host of issues were discussed.

Maulana Rahman expressed his reservations on major issues.

The opposition leader made it clear that the decision about attending the NSC meeting would be taken on Nov 24 at a meeting of the MMA's supreme council in Karachi.

In its earlier meeting in Islamabad, the council had, in principle, decided against its members attending the meeting. The decision was contested by the NWFP chapter of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl).

Prime Minister Aziz contacted Maulana Rahman for a meeting soon after offering dialogue to the opposition in his address to the nation on Friday. Maulana Rahman agreed to make a stopover in Islamabad while going to Raiwind to attend the Tablighi jamaat's congregation.

Mr Aziz went to the opposition leader's chamber at 4.15pm and appeared before the media at 5.55pm. Only the electronic media were invited to cover the meeting. Except for a few, print media persons were not allowed to enter the venue.

The premier told newsmen that he had invited Maulana Rahman to attend the NSC meeting. He said he had also invited the MMA leadership to enter into a dialogue with the government to bring down the political temperature.

He said he would hold similar meetings with the leadership of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy to create a congenial political atmosphere in which all parties could discuss national issues on the floor of parliament.

He said the dialogue process should be continued with both the opposition and the government sides maintaining their respective positions.

In response to a question, the premier admitted that the Maulana had expressed his reservations about some of the government's steps.

The opposition leader told journalists that the talks were held in a congenial atmosphere and he would pass on to the alliance's supreme council what had transpired in the meeting.

"We do not recognize Gen Musharraf as president in uniform as in our opinion uniform and parliament can not coexist. The government needs to remove our reservations before starting a meaningful dialogue," he said.

Asked if the opposition would continue its campaign if Gen Musharraf decided to quit his military post before Dec 31, the Maulana said the rallies already scheduled would go ahead.

He said the MMA had never closed doors on meaningful talks with the government. "We will continue to differ on the bill passed to allow Gen Musharraf to retain the army chief's post, as it was unconstitutional, illegal and anti-democratic," he said.

"We have a principled position on the uniform issue. If the government comes to terms on that, we are ready to cooperate," he said.

"We will continue to talk to the ARD leadership on a concerted campaign against the president's army uniform," he said.