Talks unlikely to bear fruit amid instability: Rashid

Former information minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has likened the current political climate to a "stock exchange of politics", where uncertainty looms large.

Speaking to the media outside an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, Rashid said he was sceptical about the ongoing negotiations between the government and the opposition. "The nation hopes for fruitful talks, but it seems unlikely that this will lead to a resolution."

"If a judicial commission is not formed and political detainees are not released, internatioanal pressure on Pakistan will increase."

He added that the public was disillusioned and sought the government's ouster.

Commenting on the dire socio-economic situation, Rashid lamented, "Today, prisons are overcrowded, and the poor are being crushed under the burden of this government, which lacks any solid footing". He urged the government not to turn the negotiations into a farce. He called for a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9 and November 26, which he believes would alleviate global scrutiny.

"I still call for a general amnesty," Rashid asserted, adding that the government was already struggling under international pressure and further economic collapse seemed imminent. Referring to his personal legal battles, he said, "There are so many cases filed against me that I've grown tired of them".

"I have a connection with just one individual, and I'm trying to uphold that relationship," he said in an apparent reference to PTI founding chairman Imran Khan.