‘Bat’ Symbol
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KARACHI: After losing its iconic ‘bat’ symbol in a recent Supreme Court verdict, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) swiftly regroups and launches its election campaign with a spirited rally at Karachi’s Sea View beach. The rally, led by PTI central leader Sher Afzal Marwat, saw a large turnout of enthusiastic participants.
Despite facing challenges, including reported road blockades leading to Sea View, the PTI rally went on as planned. Raja Azhar, a PTI leader, announced the campaign kick-off at the popular Sea View, a renowned picnic spot for Karachi’s citizens. However, he expressed dissatisfaction with reported police barricades obstructing the rally route.
In response, the traffic police clarified that the main track along Sea View beach had experienced a temporary blockade due to the political event but was swiftly restored. They confirmed the removal of road barricades, ensuring smooth access to the rally venue.
The PTI’s decision to contest the upcoming national-level polls independently follows the Supreme Court’s verdict, which upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to strip the party of its ‘bat’ symbol. The electoral body cited irregularities in PTI’s internal polls as the basis for the symbol’s revocation.
Addressing journalists at the Supreme Court, PTI’s now-former chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan expressed disappointment with the “controversial” verdict, vowing to challenge it. With the loss of a unified symbol, PTI candidates will now run with individual symbols, creating potential confusion among voters.
Despite this setback, prominent PTI leaders, including Yasmin Rashid, Salman Akram Raja, and Latif Khosa, have embraced new symbols such as ‘laptop,’ ‘racquet,’ and the English letter ‘K,’ respectively, for their respective constituencies.
As the PTI navigates this electoral challenge, the rally at Sea View signifies the party’s resilience and determination to forge ahead in the upcoming general elections on February 8.
