Next elections will be Nawaz Sharif versus the rest: Rana Sanaullah

LAHORE: Dismissing all further possible movements against the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the next elections will be between former prime minister Nawaz Sharif versus the rest of the parties.

“In next elections, on one side will be PML-N and Nawaz Sharif, and on other side will be the rest,” he said speaking during ARY News program on Friday when asked when he believes that the movements were targeted against them.

He said that other minor parties, religious, sectarian or otherwise, cannot challenge the PML-N as they cannot form an alliance, and were instead making these sit-ins and movement in haste and moment of  desperation and helplessness.

Asked about the vested interests of Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Tahir-ul-Qadri, the Law Minister revealed that the cleric desired that his sons to be elected to parliament from Lahore.

“There is a state of desperation. This includes Qadri and also a pir (referring to spiritual leader Pir Sialvi),” he said adding that the PML-N remained popular even as ever. Therefore, he said that such parties will organising these sit-ins on their own.

He further said that several parties were still seeking the support of the PML-N as its ticket was still ‘hot cake’ commodity, and thus in the next few months will continue to organise such sit-ins.

He also dismissed that the recent sit-in in Faizabad had harmed the Punjab over even the federal government. “From one day it was our policy not to use show of force,” he said when asked why the protestors were allowed into Islamabad.

When asked who conducted the operation against the protestors, he said the federal government acted on the order of the Supreme Court and attempted to disperse them. However, he denied that the bothced operation harmed the government.

“Those who were affected by the operation were harmed. It didn’t cause harm to us,” he said.