The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has announced its reserved verdict in the case regarding the election symbol for the PTI and its intra-party elections.
The court has accepted the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) plea and withdrew its previous stay order on the ECP verdict annulling the PTI’s intra-party poll and subsequently withdrawing its election symbol of bat.
The high court had suspended the election commission’s decision on a plea of the PTI. Filing a review, the ECP had contended that the court announced its stay on the commission’s decision to nullify the PTI’s intra-party election and withdraw its bat election symbol without hearing it.
Also Read: ECP moves Peshawar High Court to reconsider decision on PTI 'bat' symbol
With the PHC’s withdrawal of its stay order, the ECP’s decision of December 22 against the PTI has been revived.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had filed a review petition in the Peshawar High Court, challenging the order related to the election symbol of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The review petition, filed by the election commission's lawyer, urged the formation of a special two-member bench for an expedited hearing. Additionally, the petition seeks the lifting of the injunction and the establishment of a divisional bench to oversee the case.
On December 22, the ECP had declared the intra-party election of the PTI null and void, subsequently revoking the party's bat symbol. Responding to this decision, the Peshawar High Court, on December 26, suspended the Election Commission's move to withdraw the 'bat' symbol from PTI.
Reacting to the decision, PPP leader and senior lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan stressed that the decision was injustice with the election symbol of bat. He questioned how the election commission could take away the right of millions of voters with one stroke of a pen. He said the party had been virtually destroyed.
Aitzaz stated that only the Supreme Court had the power to render a political party ineffective.
