Had the 20 religious parties not supported PML N ,the PTI would have clinched the NA 120 seat comfortably. Now it has become crystal clear that retaining the electoral status quo (Punjab) in the next general election will not be be very easy for the PML N.

This contest was like a rehearsal for the 2018 election. The PTI workers must take it as its political victory despite the loss. The PML workers should not live in a fool’s paradise. Their vote has decreased.

Shaukat Hayat Buneri

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2017