Islamabad, Mar 11: The PPP’s change of stance and acceding to the PML-N’s demand for restoration of deposed judges during the meeting between Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif on Sunday, clinched the deal between the two traditionally rival parties.

"It was an excellent quid pro quo that came about in the ninety-minute one-on-one session between Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif in Murree," The News quoted a prominent PML-N leader, who was part of his party's negotiating team, as saying.

According to the paper, both sides budged from their publicly avowed stands on the restoration of the judges and not joining the cabinet, demonstrating a remarkable sense of accommodation and flexibility, hardly witnessed in Pakistan's political history before.

He said that the PML-N wanted immediate reinstatement of the justices while the PPP desired to take steps for the purpose in the next three-four months. Finally, he said, the agreement reached on the timeline of 30 days after the formation of the next government.

In exchange, the PML-N abandoned its stand not to be part of the PPP-led cabinet, saying it doesn't want its ministers to be administered oath by an "unconstitutional and illegal" President, a PPP leader, who was part of his party's team of interlocutors, said.

The PML-N leader said for a greater cause they gave up their party's stand not to take oath from Musharraf — reinstatement of the judges. "We have to swallow the bitter pill," he said and added that the PPP wanted the PML-N to also share the responsibility by joining its cabinet side by side supporting the government.

The PPP held the view that this would lead to the practical and meaningful co-operation between the two parties, he added. (ANI)