PTI moves Supreme Court against PHC’s order in election symbol case

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday filed an appeal in the Supreme Court (SC), seeking annulment of the interim order of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), which it gave on the intra-court appeal filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the PTI’s intra-party elections and the election symbol case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

In the appeal, the PTI argued that the ECP could not become a party to the case. “Unfortunately, the election commission’s attitude towards the party is discriminatory. And that the ECP, while taking away from the PTI its election symbol of ‘bat’ did not take into account the facts. In short, the high court, while pronouncing the decision, did not fulfill the legal requirements,” read the plea.  

The PTI also requested the apex court to fix the case’s hearing either today or tomorrow.

In a big blow to the PTI, the Peshawar High Court had on Wednesday restored the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order dated December 22 which had declared the PTI’s intra-party polls “unconstitutional” and snatched from the party its electoral symbol of ‘bat’.

The verdict, reserved earlier in the day, was announced by Justice Ejaz Khan on the review petitions filed by the ECP.

In case the party fails to get its election symbol of ‘bat’ back, its candidates will have to contest for the national and provincial assemblies’ seats as independents. In that case, it would not be possible for them to join the PTI, even after winning the elections.

In that scenario, they may face pressure to join other parties.

On December 22, the ECP had decreed that PTI could not retain its electoral symbol for the February 8 election, saying that it had failed to hold intra-party polls in accordance with its constitution.

Reporter: Amanat Gishkori