Peshawar High Court restores PTI’s election symbol ‘bat’, suspends ECP order

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order stripping Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of its election symbol ‘bat’.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel conducted the hearing on PTI’s petition challenging the ECP decision. The court said the case will be reheard after the winter vacations.

During the hearing, the court observed that the ECP cannot revoke a party’s election symbol after the issuance of an election schedule. It suspended the ECP order and restored PTI’s bat symbol until a final decision is made.

The ECP had on December 22 declared PTI’s intra-party elections held on December 3 as unconstitutional. It froze the party’s account and stripped it of its election symbol over a petition filed by former dissident PTI member Akbar S Babar.

PTI had approached the PHC challenging the ECP order. Its lawyers argued that the ECP does not have the authority to decide the procedure for intra-party elections or question the appointment of office-bearers.

They said the complainant objecting to PTI’s polls was not a party member. Depriving the party of its election symbol violated its fundamental rights, the lawyers contended.

The PTI pleaded to the court to declare the ECP proceedings illegal and restore its symbol immediately.

Speaking after the hearing, PTI’s counsel Barrister Ali Zafar welcomed the court decision, saying the election symbol is a fundamental right of a political party. He expressed hope that the ECP order would be nullified in the next hearing.

The PHC suspending the ECP move and restoring PTI’s bat symbol until the final verdict is seen as a major legal victory for the party ahead of next general elections. It will allow PTI to use its established election symbol in the polls.