ISLAMABAD, Aug 26: Pakistan Muslim League-Q chief whip Abdus Sattar Laleka has said the government is trying to conduct the proceedings of the National Assembly according to parliamentary norms despite the opposition’s protests.

Talking to Dawn in his chamber after adjournment of the lower house for two days here on Tuesday, Mr Laleka, who is also federal minister for labour, manpower and overseas Pakistanis, said the opposition should make it possible for the government to conduct the proceedings of the assembly smoothly and in a manner that would facilitate taking up issues of national importance in earnest.

Mr Laleka said despite continued protest of the opposition members, the government had introduced bills in the assembly, question and answer sessions were being held, and members were presenting various privilege and adjournment motions. He said the assembly members, through a resolution, had also agreed to form a national water conservation committee, which he claimed was a big achievement.

Opposition members who were inside the assembly at the time of the passage of the resolution did not participate in the voting, and kept thumping their desks in protest against the LFO.

The PML-Q chief whip said the government wanted to run the house on a daily basis and had requested the opposition to take part in debates on various issues, such as floods in Sindh, pollution and agricultural problems, but it preferred to boycott proceedings.

He did not mention any proposed legislation that the government intends to introduce in the house during the current session.

The minister said Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali had invited the opposition for talks and it was now up to the people to decide as to who was sabotaging the dialogue process.