As per the purported deal, Zardari may pay a hefty amount and remain outside the country for five years while the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its leadership including Bilawal and Faryal Talpur could get a clean chit and continue with their politics.
In the case of Nawaz Sharif, sources say, he has agreed to pay as well (no specific number given) but the problem is that Prime Minister Imran Khan has been insisting that Nawaz Sharif appear on TV to apologise for his corruption. If he agrees then the Sharif family including Maryam Nawaz will be cleared from all cases of corruption being heard against them.
Sources say this proposal has categorically been rejected by Nawaz Sharif and PMLN as Nawaz’s coming on TV and tendering apology will be the end of Maryam Nawaz’s politics before it even launched formally.
People close to Imran Khan have claimed that twice in the past, Imran Khan was communicated to by the establishment that keeping in view the tough financial situation of the country, it would be better to let the two leaders go in return for money.
But reportedly Imran threatened to resign saying that his whole political career is based on the promise of ‘punishing’ the two political families (Zardari and Sharifs) for their corrupt practices.
If they were given any kind of relief, he would prefer to go home instead of continuing as the Prime Minister.
But now Imran Khan has been convinced that there is no point holding the two leaders inside jail if they agree to enter into a plea bargain. Pakistan badly needs foreign exchange and the two leaders’ heath is also deteriorating, so the wise step was to get a deal going and move on, sources added.