Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has claimed that when the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was being formed, his party was offered a role in exchange for some ministries and the condition that he would have to leave the country.
The startling disclosure came in an interview with television host Hamid Mir on his programme Capital Talk on Geo TV on Thursday evening.
Zardari said that long before talks of the 'minus Imran' formula, there was an attempt at a 'minus' Zardari formula in the PPP.
The PPP co-chairman claimed that the Imran Khan government wanted to keep the PPP as a coalition partner, but only if it came without Zardari.
He further claimed that at one point, he was asked to leave the country in exile. In exchange, his party was offered six ministries in the centre and the opportunity to contest elections alongside the PTI.
Zardari continued that their decision to evict Imran from power using the constitutional route of a no-confidence vote was the correct choice.
He stated that plans were afoot to ensure Imran would remain in power until 2028. This was a reference to the long-rumoured '10-year' plan to set up a government led by Imran Khan.
On how they would Imran be installed for such a length of time, Zardari explained that the plan involved conducting an "ROs" (returning officers) elections through a military official.
He added that Imran had isolated Pakistan globally while he proved to be an 'enemy' of the national economy.
Had the grand plan come to pass, Zardari said that the price of a litre of milk would have to be paid in truckloads of rupees.