GUJAR KHAN  -  Former federal minister for information and broadcasting, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, asserted on Monday that political extremists in the ranks of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) do not want the ongoing talks to succeed.

In a video statement from Jhelum, Fawad asserted that over the past two years, both the government and the establishment have been working to eliminate Imran Khan, while the PTI has been striving to instigate a revolution. He claimed that both sides have failed in their objectives. The former minister stated that the political landscape in the country has remained stagnant for the past two years, noting that the recent talks between the government and the PTI have advanced the situation.

Fawad feared that political extremists from both sides may jeopardise the success of the ongoing government-PTI talks. He suggested that political stability is unattainable without the involvement of former prime minister Imran Khan in the political arena.

Fawad asserted that the current trajectory indicates a recognition that a deadlock will continue unless Imran Khan is reintegrated into the political landscape, suggesting that a formula will be formulated to facilitate Khan’s release. 

Chaudhry Fawad stated that the mercy extended to convicted PTI workers in the May 9 case by Chief of Army Staff Gen. Asim Munir, along with the release of over 400 PTI workers, the reopening of the PTI secretariat in Islamabad, and the authorisation for the PTI talks committee to meet with Imran Khan in jail, have contributed to a reduction in political tensions. “Lowering the political temperature is essential to alleviate political tensions and attain stability in the country,” he stated.

He suggested that the only viable solution for the country is to conduct fresh elections, ensuring that all political parties are afforded equal opportunities to participate.