LAHORE: National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq says he is making strenuous efforts to persuade opposition parties’ representatives to meet the government committee and finalise Terms of Reference (ToR) for a probe into the Panama Leaks.

Speaking to media persons here on Saturday, Mr Sadiq said everybody had a right to protest but those planning to topple the incumbent government through protests were living in a fool’s paradise. “The ToR cannot be decided on roads,” he asserted.

Mr Sadiq said the government was always willing to continue holding meetings to reach a consensus on ToR, adding that he had talked to PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan but could not contact Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi because he was abroad.

However, he said that he had informed PTI’s Shirin Mazari about the upcoming meeting on ToR.

Answering a question, the NA speaker said that PTI members in the assembly would not repeat the mistake of tendering resignations and urged the media not to persuade them to do so.

He said since the PTI members believed in democracy and the parliament, they should be allowed to play their opposition role in the assembly.

Mr Sadiq denied the rumours of any forward bloc in the treasury benches in the National Assembly and said that some members were irritated over an issue and had conveyed their message to the government. “Not a single PML-N member has any complaint against the government,” he asserted.

About the change of leadership in the Sindh government, the NA Speaker said it was PPP’s own decision of changing guards in the government. “Strengthening and improvement in Sindh will contribute to country’s development and well-being,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2016