Peshawar High Court (PHC) reserved its verdict on Tuesday regarding the appeal filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), challenging the court’s ruling on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) electoral ‘bat’ symbol and intra-party elections
On December 26, a single-bench of the PHC suspended the ECP’s decision to revoke the bat symbol for PTI and its intra-party elections. Responding to this, the ECP filed a review petition at the PHC, seeking a reconsideration of the PTI’s intra-party elections and the decision related to the election symbol.
PTI’s intra-party elections, which saw the election of Barrister Gohar Khan as the party’s chairman, were held on December 2, following directives from the electoral body. However, these elections faced criticism from estranged PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar, who vowed to challenge the entire process, alleging a biased selection process that ousted party workers.
On December 22, the ECP nullified PTI’s intra-party elections for the third time in the past year, rendering the party ineligible for its traditional electoral symbol, the ‘bat.’ The ECP stated that PTI had not complied with the directions of the Elections Act 2017, failing to hold intra-party elections in accordance with its constitution and election rules.
PT’s Gohar Ali Khan expressed the party’s intention to approach the PHC or the Supreme Court against the ECP’s decision to deprive PTI of its traditional electoral symbol. He conveyed that all efforts were perceived as an attempt to deny his party the reserved seats.
