ECP Order Suspended: PTI Regains Electoral Symbol, PHC Decides
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has delivered a significant legal victory for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), suspending the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order that had revoked the party’s iconic election symbol, the “bat.” The PHC’s verdict, announced after hearing PTI’s petition challenging the ECP’s declaration of intra-party polls as “illegal,” paves the way for the restoration of PTI’s electoral symbol until a final decision is reached. The court emphasized that a double bench would resume proceedings after winter vacations to address the matter.
The ECP had stripped PTI of its “bat” symbol on December 22, following a petition by former PTI leader Akbar S Babar challenging the legality of the intra-party elections. The PHC, in its ruling, noted that the ECP must allocate the electoral symbol to PTI, and once the election schedule is issued, it cannot be revoked.
PTI’s legal representatives praised the PHC’s decision, stating that it thwarted conspiracies against the party. They urged the ECP to promptly publish the PTI’s certificate on its website and take measures for a fair election. The hearing is set to resume before the final date for the allotment of electoral symbols on January 13.
PTI lawyer Ali Zafar argued that the ECP’s order was illegal and unconstitutional, jeopardizing PTI’s participation in the polls and potentially affecting its reserved seats. He highlighted the ECP’s withdrawal of the electoral symbol after initially admitting the veracity of intra-party elections, emphasizing the importance of the election symbol in accordance with Article 17 of the Constitution.
The PHC’s decision is seen as a crucial development in the ongoing legal battle over PTI’s electoral symbol, impacting the party’s standing and participation in the upcoming elections.
