Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullh has said that the general election is around the corner and it appears that the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz will form the next government.

PMLN is currently part of the multiparty Pakistan Democratic Movement coalition that came to power in April 2022 after Imran Khan was ousted by a parliamentary vote.

Sanaullah, who is from the PMLN, addressed a public gathering in Faisalabad on Saturday, devoting much of his speech to attacking Imran Khan’s PTI, which has seen a wave of desertion in the past two weeks.

He ruled out the possibility of entering into negotiation with Imran Khan. “Will the families of martyrs spare us if we hold talks with you?” he said addressing Imran Khan.

PTI has been blamed for attacking military installations and memorials of martyrs in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces during the riots that followed Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9.

Sanaullah’s statement about the election being on the horizon is significant given that the ruling coalition has been opposing early elections in Punjab. A deadline set by the Supreme Court of Pakistan earlier this month has already passed.