Election 2024
\nPeshawar High Court restores Election Commission of Pakistan\u2019s order, stripping PTI of \u2018bat\u2019 electoral symbol
\nPESHAWAR
\nThe Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday revoked the stay order granted by its single-member bench, restoring the Election Commission of Pakistan\u2019s (ECP) decision to declare PTI intra-party polls null and void and stripping it of its election symbol \u2014 bat.
\nA single-member bench comprising Justice Ejaz Khan announced the verdict that the court had reserved hours earlier.
\nElection commission\u2019s lawyer Sikander Bashir Mohmand and PTI\u2019s legal team \u2014 comprising Advocates Shah Faisal Uthmankhel and Qazi Anwar \u2014 appeared in the courtroom.
\nIn its six-page order, the PHC noted that its earlier verdict had \u201cprima facie created hindrance in the smooth process of the election which Is to be conducted by the ECP\u201d.
\n\u201c…the interim order of this court passed in favour of the PTI is hereby recalled and consequently the Election Commission of Pakistan is directed to proceed with the election process as per its constitutional mandate.\u201d
\nThe party\u2019s candidates would now, given the order, have to contest elections \u201cindependently\u201d, Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, chief of the think tank Pildat, told Geo News.
\nThe electoral body had filed a review petition at the high court against the PHC\u2019s December 26 decision, which had suspended the ECP\u2019s order and restored the party\u2019s \u2018bat\u2019 symbol till a final decision on the matter.
\nThe ECP, in its order on December 22, had declared PTI\u2019s intra-party polls \u201cillegal\u201d and stripped it of using the \u2018bat\u2019 symbol.
\nFollowing its order, the former ruling party approached the PHC, seeking to restore its electoral symbol ahead of the general elections slated for February 8, as it is a major voter driving force.
\nIn its petition, the ECP requested the court review the PTI\u2019s intra-party elections and its decision related to the election symbol.
\nBarrister Asad Rahim Khan told Geo.tv that following the setback in the PHC, the party can still knock on the doors of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
\n\u201c[However, PTI] also has a division bench hearing in the PHC on the 9th. Depending on that decision, it can then go to the Supreme Court,\u201d the legal expert added.
\nTalking to reporters in Rawalpindi, PTI\u2019s former chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said his party would move the apex court after due deliberations, noting that the SC \u201cwould not let this matter slide\u201d.
\n\u201cThe Supreme Court has already stated that revoking a party\u2019s symbol is tantamount to disbanding the entire party,\u201d the PTI leader said, hoping that his party would get relief from the top court.
\nGohar noted that all PTI ticket holders would run as independent candidates if the apex court did not accept the party\u2019s plea, however, he said today\u2019s decision has \u201cdamaged\u201d democracy.
\n\u201cIf the election commissions has an issue with the \u2018bat\u2019, then it can allot us another symbol,\u201d he urged.
\nThe hearing
\nAt the outset of the hearing, Advocate Anwar said that he, along with Barrister Gohar Khan, will represent the PTI in this case.
\n\u201cThe political parties, in the court, said that they stand with the Election Commission,\u201d said Anwar.
\nAt this, Justice Khan said: \u201cWe have learned from you that these things are baseless in the eyes of law as whatever happens outside the court has nothing to do with the hearing\u201d.
\n\u201cCan the ECP approach the court against the high court\u2019s ruling?\u201d questioned PTI\u2019s lawyer calling the electoral body\u2019s petition incorrect.
\nAdvocate Anwar said that the PHC announced its verdict on December 26, however, it has not yet been implemented. \u201cElection Commission has not yet issued the [PTI] intra-party election certificate on the website,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cDid your party file any contempt case in this matter?\u201d asked Justice Khan.
\nFollowing this, the PTI\u2019s counsel said that sidelining a party was not good for the ECP or the democracy.
\nHe said that the PTI wants the ECP to conduct free and fair elections.
\nAdvocate Anwar then inquired about the electoral body\u2019s authority to challenge a high court order.
\nLater, the ECP\u2019s counsel told the court that the body was not removing any political party from the list but required the parties to follow its laws.
\nMohmand said that the PTI did not conduct intra-party polls, hence, the party elections have been declared null and void. He requested the court to withdraw the PTI\u2019s stay order.
\nThe court then reserved the verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Election 2024 Peshawar High Court restores Election Commission of Pakistan\u2019s order, stripping PTI of \u2018bat\u2019 electoral symbol PESHAWAR The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday revoked the stay order granted by its single-member bench, restoring the Election Commission of Pakistan\u2019s (ECP) decision to declare PTI intra-party polls null and void and stripping it of its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":378509,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-378492","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n