'Offered Imran Khan deal twice, he refused': PM's aide
What's the story
Rana Sanaullah, an adviser on political affairs to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has claimed that two attempts were made to negotiate a deal with former premier Imran Khan, but he refused. He said the first attempt was allegedly spearheaded by Mohsin Naqvi and then-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur before November 26, 2022. The second attempt came from a few people from abroad recently.
Deal decline
Khan wants to dissolve current government, return to power: Sanaullah
Sanaullah said Khan initially agreed to the deals but later backed out. He alleged that Khan wants to dissolve the current government and return to power. "We want a political solution to this problem, but Khan is not willing to find a way out," Sanaullah said. The adviser also defended Nawaz Sharif for cutting a deal with the military establishment, saying, "Nawaz Sharif is a seasoned politician. He found a way forward for himself and his party."
Official response
No leniency or deals being offered to Khan: Minister
After Sanaullah's claims, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar clarified in a post on his X account that "there is neither any deal nor any leniency being offered to Imran Khan." "Any impression of the government granting relaxation to Imran Khan is entirely false. Imran Khan is a convicted criminal," he said.
Family statement
Khan has been in jail since 2023
Khan has been in jail since August 2023, serving a 14-year sentence on corruption charges. He claims these cases were fabricated to politically sideline him, an allegation the military establishment denies. Khan was elected prime minister in 2018, but fell out with the country's powerful army. Four years into his term, in April 2022, he was ousted after he lost a vote of confidence.
Health issues
Concerns over ex-PM's health in prison
Khan's family and party have raised concerns over his health in prison. His sister Noreen Khan has alleged that her brother is being tortured in prison "under the directives of Field Marshal Gen Asim Munir." They have demanded he be treated at Shifa Hospital in Islamabad with his personal doctors present. His lawyer Salman Safdar told the Supreme Court last week that the 73-year-old former prime minister has lost 85% vision in his right eye while in jail.