Bat Symbol
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) is set to resume its hearing on Wednesday regarding the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) petition challenging the single bench ruling on the electoral ‘bat’ symbol of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the intra-party elections. The ECP had filed a review petition against the PHC’s December 26 decision, which had temporarily suspended the ECP’s directive and reinstated the PTI’s ‘bat’ symbol until a final decision was reached.
In response to the ECP’s earlier order, labeling PTI’s intra-party polls as “illegal” and revoking their right to use the ‘bat’ symbol, the political party sought legal recourse from the PHC to reinstate its emblem ahead of the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.
During the recent hearing conducted by PHC’s Justice Ijaz Khan, the court reserved its verdict after the ECP’s lawyer presented arguments. The lawyer highlighted that the ECP had filed a review plea against the high court’s order, emphasizing that PTI had not conducted the intra-party elections appropriately. Allegations were raised regarding the ECP’s powers and the assertion that its decision was unconstitutional.
The ECP’s counsel contended that the single bench had suspended the ECP’s order and issued a stay order without hearing the electoral body’s arguments, characterizing the stay order as akin to a final verdict. The lawyer also noted PTI’s parallel petition filed in the Lahore High Court, questioning the propriety of seeking remedy in a second court after initiating legal proceedings in another.
Justice Khan inquired about the presence of any representatives from the petitioner’s party in the court, to which the ECP lawyer responded in the negative. The lawyer then urged the court to withdraw the December 26 order and called for the formation of a bench to address the case thoroughly.
Simultaneously, the advocate general expressed that the federation had no interest in being a party to the case and requested to be removed from it. The court, following these arguments, reserved its verdict, marking the continuation of this legal dispute over the ‘bat’ symbol and intra-party elections.
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