The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been left unsettled by its surprise defeat in the Haripur by-election — a constituency the party has long considered safe, especially with its own government in place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Party insiders say the setback has prompted some soul-searching at the top.

Senior leaders are now openly questioning whether PTI’s combative political style, pursued for years, is starting to limit its room to manoeuvre even in areas where it once enjoyed unquestioned support.

There are indications that the leadership is considering adopting a more negotiation-driven approach.

The Haripur seat had fallen vacant after the disqualification of former leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, making the defeat even more symbolic and worrying for the party.

Omar Ayub’s wife had contested the by-election.

Many within PTI see the result as a warning that the current mode of politics may no longer be sustainable.

According to sources, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan visited Omar Ayub at his residence after the poll result, where the two held detailed discussions on the situation.

Barrister Gohar later said they had reviewed “the plus and minus of the party’s political strategy over the past three years” and discussed the way forward.

The sources said Barrister Gohar’s post-poll remarks — in which he subtly hinted at a new strategic direction — reflect the current thinking of the senior leadership.

One insider noted that “it is clear that the establishment still isn’t ready to fully recognise PTI’s mandate”, a perception that has pushed the leadership to re-examine its confrontational posture.

Barrister Gohar has long been seen as a moderate voice within the party, consistently advocating sustained political engagement and dialogue rather than confrontation.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi and some detained leaders have also called for talks, but hardliners within PTI repeatedly resisted any such move.

The sources said the Haripur setback has strengthened the influence of the ‘moderates’, with more leaders now convinced that negotiations offer the only viable path forward.

However, the final decision rests with PTI founder Imran Khan, who until now has tended to side with hawkish advisers rather than moderate voices.