Soul-searching for the PTI

This refers to the news report, ‘PML-N wins Haripur by-poll with huge margin’ (August 17). This should serve as an eye-opener for Imran Khan and the PTI folks. Despite having a clear majority in local bodies elections, the PTI has lost the only National Assembly seat from this constituency.
Embroiled in controversies since May 2013, the call for fresh elections has galvanised the entire area into political activity. An election campaign that saw active participation of political stalwarts like Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif, the by-election was destined to be a nail-biting contest. Seasoned politician Raja Aamir Zaman of the PTI was pitched against a political minnow – Babar Nawaz Khan of the PML-N. The odds were that with slightly serious and organised campaigning, the PTI would have been able to grab this seat with some margin. But then there came Reham Khan who rendered the fertile land of Haripur barren for the PTI presumably forever. One wonders if the PTI is doing some soul-searching for the 2018 elections.
Waseem Afzal Jadoon
Abbottabad