The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken steps to address objections in its petition challenging the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) decision favouring the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in intra-party polls and the reinstatement of its distinctive ‘bat’ symbol. The Supreme Court’s registrar office initially raised objections, leading the electoral body to file an amended plea after removing specific documents objected to by the registrar.
In an effort to expedite the process, the ECP has prepared a miscellaneous petition for an immediate hearing in the apex court regarding the amended plea. This move follows the return of the appeal by the Supreme Court’s registrar earlier in the day. The commission aims to file the miscellaneous plea after the top court assigns a case number.
Meanwhile, just before the plea was filed, the PTI, led by Imran Khan, submitted a contempt of court petition against the ECP. The party alleges that the election commission failed to comply with the court’s order to restore its ‘bat’ electoral symbol ahead of the upcoming February 8 general elections. The PTI claims contempt of court, asserting that the ECP did not upload the certificate regarding the party’s intra-party elections on its website as directed by the PHC.
The PHC had previously declared the ECP’s decision on December 22, 2023, as “illegal” and directed the publication of PTI’s certificate on its website. In response, the electoral body held a brief consultative meeting to address the implications of reinstating the ‘bat’ symbol for the PTI.
The time constraint adds urgency to the situation, as Returning Officers (ROs) are set to allocate poll symbols to candidates on January 13. However, the list of symbols provided to candidates on Tuesday did not include over a dozen symbols, including the crucial ‘bat’. The legal manoeuvres and counter-petitions set the stage for a crucial legal battle with significant implications for PTI’s electoral symbol and the upcoming general elections.
