LONDON – Pakistan’s former prime minister would escape a corruption trialand be allowed to live in exile under a potential deal being brokered bySaudi Arabia.

Nawaz Sharif is expected to visit Saudi Arabia as the kingdom appears readyto intervene in the stand-off between the head of Pakistan’s longest rulingpolitical dynasty and the military establishment.

Mr Sharif, who requires permission to leave Pakistan, is ready to quitactive politics, without facing prosecution, according to a source.However, he has been forced to change his preferred line of politicalsuccession, naming his brother Shehbaz Sharif as heir to his PakistanMuslim League-Nawaz party, Pakistan’s largest, in place of his daughter, afoe of the military.

Mr Sharif, who has been prime minister three times, was forced from powerin July when the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding office, afterwhich a series of corruption cases were opened against him and his family.

He has not gone down without a fight. His political machine, headed by hisdaughter Maryam Nawaz, has persistently criticised the army for beingbehind the judiciary’s moves. As a result, civil-military tension inPakistan has escalated.

Nasser Khan Janjua, the national security adviser acting as an intermediarybetween the military and the government, confirmed he had a meeting with MrSharif on Thursday. Mr Janjua declined to confirm or deny suggestions thatMr Sharif had been offered a backroom deal, but told The Times that hewould “never be a part of or party to any conspiracy against the greatstate of Pakistan”.

Riyadh has long played peace broker between Mr Sharif and the military.After the 1999 coup Mr Sharif depended on the goodwill of the Saudiauthorities to bypass prison, even execution, and remain in exile for eightyears.

The Saudis are indicating that they await a final sign-off from thePakistani military. Shehbaz Sharif, an Arabic speaker seen as an ally ofthe Pakistani military, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday on a Saudiplane sent to fetch him from Pakistan.