Imran Khan’s party gets back ‘bat’ symbol, court raps election panel
Speaking to the media after the verdict, PTI counsel Barrister Ali Zafar said: “Now, no one can stop PTI from winning these (February 8) elections.”
A high court in Pakistan on Wednesday rejected an election commission order and restored the ‘bat’ election symbol to former prime minister Imran Khan’s PTI party ahead of general elections next month.
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) called for a return of the iconic ‘bat’ symbol to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after dubbing the election panel order taking it away as “unconstitutional”.
Poll panel
The court also told the election commission to upload the party’s certificate of internal elections on its website, the Dawn newspaper reported.
On December 22, the Election Commission of Pakistan decided against letting PTI retain its ‘bat’ symbol for the February 8 ballot, saying it had not held intra-party polls under its constitution and election laws.
Court order
A two-member PHC bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Arshad Ali termed the ECP's decision "incorrect".
The PTI had approached the PHC and a single-member bench restored the electoral symbol till January 9.
On December 30, the electoral watchdog filed a review petition, and the high court restored the ECP order, stripping the party of its symbol again. The PTI then moved the Supreme Court.
PTI happy
The high court on Wednesday again upturned the election panel order, after the PTI pulled its case out of the Supreme Court.
Speaking to the media after the verdict, PTI counsel Barrister Ali Zafar said: “Now, no one can stop PTI from winning these elections.”
“The court has ordered to restore PTI’s ‘bat’ symbol and upload intra-party polls results on its (election commission) website immediately,” he added.
“It was a conspiracy against the PTI to deprive it of the bat symbol.”
(With agency inputs)