‘Bat’ Symbol
LAHORE: In a significant development, the Lahore High Court (LHC) dealt a blow to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) by dismissing a plea challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) declaration of the party’s intra-party polls as “unconstitutional.” The ECP’s decision also led to the revocation of PTI’s iconic bat electoral symbol. Justice Jawad Hassan, while announcing the reserved verdict, declared PTI leader Umar Aftab Dhillon’s petition inadmissible.
The PTI leader had sought the court’s intervention to overturn the commission’s order and direct it to publish the PTI’s certificate for the intra-party election on its website. He argued that the withdrawal of the symbol was illegal, contending that matters related to intra-party polls did not fall within the ECP’s jurisdiction. According to the petitioner, the ECP, not being a court of law, lacked the authority to question the validity of party appointments or intra-party elections.
During the proceedings, the PTI’s lawyer cited the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) decision to reinstate the party’s electoral symbol. However, Justice Jawad pointed out that the PHC verdict on an appeal against the order was still pending.
The government’s lawyer argued that the plea was non-maintainable, asserting that the PTI leader was not directly affected. This dismissal followed the PHC’s decision to restore the ECP’s order, which declared PTI’s intra-party elections unconstitutional, stripping the party of its leadership and electoral symbol. The PHC’s single bench, led by Justice Ijaz Khan, vacated the stay order that had suspended the ECP’s decision until January 9, allowing the PTI to use the ‘bat’ symbol.
This legal setback adds to the challenges faced by PTI, impacting its leadership and electoral representation. The complex legal battles underscore the party’s ongoing struggles in navigating internal disputes and electoral complications.
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