MURREE (Pakistan) - THE opponents of embattled Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf were due to hold talks on Sunday to hammer out the formation of a coalition government, party officials said.

The parties of slain ex-premier Benazir Bhutto and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif routed Musharraf's allies in the Feb 18 general elections and have been engaged in coalition talks since then.

Bhutto was killed in a suicide attack in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Dec 27.

Bhutto's widower and co-chairman of her party Asif Ali Zardari and Sharif are due to meet later on Sunday at the popular hill resort of Murree, some 60 kilometres northeast of the capital Islamabad.

'It is an important meeting. Today they have to decided about formation of a coalition government,' Mr Sharif's party spokesman Siddiqul Farooq told AFP.

Security was tight in Murree and police had cordoned roads around Mr Sharif's residence, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

Mr Musharraf faces the prospect of a hostile parliament and on Saturday urged the incoming government to put politics on the backburner and concentrate on good governance, economic management and peace and order.

'We need a stable government and peace in society. These are basic requirements to run the country's affairs,' he said.

He denied delaying calling the new parliament following the elections, which his opponents have accused him of. On Friday Mr Musharraf said the new assemblies would be convened within 10 days. -- AFP