ISLAMABAD, Sept 2: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Tuesday said the opposition was free to try its luck if it wanted to resort to street agitation, as the government was confident that the people would reject them again.

Talking to newsmen in his chamber at National Assembly, the prime minister said the people have seen the opposition parties’ performance in Parliament, and if they wanted to take to the road, they are welcome. “The people have seen them in the parliament now they will get a taste of the opposition gimmicks on the roads as well.”

He said the government was doing everything at its command to convince the opposition parties on the LFO, “ but they neither want to convince us nor do they want to be convinced by us.”

Mr Jamali said he was not aware of any move to replace him, adding that his “conscience is clear.”

The premier, who was flanked by PML-QA Chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, said that Parliament was functioning and was doing legislation. He said the Parliament would continue functioning, and that he was not aware of any move to wind it up.

Besides conducting legislative work, the government was engaged with the opposition, and was trying to sort out differences on Legal Framework Order. He said the government would continue its efforts for resolution of all issues through dialogue.

The PM said that nobody could stop rumour mongering. He said that the opposition, on the one hand was engaged in discussion with the government but on the other it was creating all sort of noises in Parliament.

He said it was not only the duty of the ruling party but that of the opposition parties as well to protect and preserve the democratic system.

Asked about the prospects of govt-MMA talks on LFO, Mr Jamali, instead of offering a reply himself, referred the question to Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

The PML-Q chief said the government was in constant contact with the MMA, and in last 24 hours, the two had two meetings.

Mr Hussain said that opposition parties were behaving like band masters in the parliament. “They are getting training of bandmasters, and after five years, they would be fully trained bandmasters.”