A change of tack — from idealism to pure expediency — has certainly helped bring Imran Khan closer to his goal.

It seems almost certain the PTI will be able to hold its ground in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. While a clear victory in KP does matter in the final reckoning, the real battleground is Punjab that could make or break Imran Khan’s dream.

The PTI seems to have already established some understanding with the establishment backed Balochistan Awami Party during the Senate chairman’s election early this year.

In Sindh, the party has reached an electoral adjustment with the GDA. The disintegration of the MQM has also provided an opportunity for the PTI to grab a few more seats from Karachi.

With these likely permutations, the PTI certainly stands a chance of scraping through to the pedestal. But there’s still a long way to go before the final lap.

Read the op-ed's full version here.