Senior journalist and analyst Arif Nizami has said that Qatar is reportedly brokering a deal between the government and former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif to secure the latter’s release.
Speaking to a private media outlet, Nizami said that Qatar was an old friend of Pakistan and previously involved in securing Nawaz’s release when former military dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf had arrested him after the 1999 coup.
“When Musharraf came into power and detained Nawaz, the emir of Qatar was the first person to initiate the process for his release,” he said.
Nizami added that up to 90 per cent of the deal had been processed to let the former PM and his daughter Maryam live in London, while sources had informed him that the “recent visit of the emir of Qatar was also linked to this task”.
Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had arrived in Pakistan earlier this week and announced $3 billion worth of new investments in the country. He had also announced that Qatar may invest another $12 billion later on.
“Sources have claimed that Nawaz’s health is not stable and according to his daughter Maryam, he has already suffered a stroke thrice,” Nizami said further.
He claimed that under the deal, Nawaz will be allowed to pay the fine to secure his release so that he and his daughter can go and live in England. “Shehbaz and Hamza will stay here to run the party affairs and face cases leveled against them,” Nizami added.
