LAHORE, Nov 14: A senior leader of the ruling PML-Q has expressed the hope that opposition legislators critical of the recent raise in the salaries and allowances of parliamentarians will refuse the benefits.

Senator Kamil Ali Agha, chief coordinator for the Punjab chief minister, expressed his surprise in a statement here on Friday that the critics were receiving all benefits and still making noises.

He said parliamentarians who appeared so worried at the rising prices and unemployment must let the nation know what they had done to solve these problems. Mere desk-thumping and sloganeering would not set things right, the PML-Q leader said.

He supported Prime Minister Jamali’s assertion that parliament had not been able to play its due role in solving people’s problems because of the non-serious attitude of the opposition.

Mr Agha said the treasury and opposition were two wheels of the vehicle of democracy and both were required to move for a smooth working of the system. But, he regretted, the opposition had opened so many fronts at the same time that they were mindful of everything on the earth except their obligations towards the country and the electorate.

Daring the opposition parties to launch the much talked about anti-government campaign, the PML-Q member of the upper house said he was aware of the potential of the adversaries.