PTI Faces 2024 Elections Without Iconic ‘Bat’

Daniyal Aziz

Peshawar:  The Peshawar High Court reversed its earlier decision, overturning the stay order that had allowed the PTI to retain its election symbol, the bat. A single-member bench, led by Justice Ejaz Khan, announced this verdict after earlier reserving judgment on the case.

The court acknowledged that its prior ruling had disrupted the smooth conduct of the upcoming elections, instructing the ECP to resume the election process as per its constitutional duties.

With this decision, PTI candidates now have to contest the elections independently, according to Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, head of the think tank Pildat.

The ECP had contested the PHC’s December 26 decision, which had temporarily reinstated the PTI’s ‘bat’ symbol pending a final ruling. The ECP’s initial order on December 22 had nullified the PTI’s intra-party polls and revoked their right to use the ‘bat’ symbol. In response, the PTI had sought the PHC’s intervention to regain its electoral symbol, crucial for the upcoming February 8 general elections.

Despite this setback in the PHC, legal expert Barrister Asad Rahim Khan highlighted the possibility of the PTI approaching the Supreme Court of Pakistan, emphasizing an upcoming division bench hearing in the PHC on the 9th, which might influence their decision to appeal to the higher court.

Reacting to the PHC’s ruling, PTI’s former chairman, Barrister Gohar Khan, expressed intentions to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court after careful consideration. He cited the significance of the SC’s previous stance on revoking a party’s symbol, stating that if the SC doesn’t favor PTI, their candidates would run independently. Gohar emphasized the setback this decision poses for democracy and suggested the ECP could assign them an alternate symbol if the ‘bat’ was contentious.

At the start of the hearing, Advocate Anwar, accompanied by Barrister Gohar Khan, stood as representatives for PTI, expressing alignment with the Election Commission’s stance in court.

However, Justice Khan pointed out that external declarations outside the courtroom hold no legal weight in proceedings. PTI’s lawyer questioned the legitimacy of the Election Commission approaching the court against the high court’s decision, deeming their petition inaccurate.

Advocate Anwar highlighted that despite the PHC’s verdict on December 26, the Election Commission hadn’t yet implemented it by issuing the PTI’s intra-party election certificate on their website.

In response to the court’s inquiry about a contempt case from PTI’s side, the party’s counsel emphasized the importance of inclusivity in the electoral process, stressing PTI’s commitment to fair elections under the ECP’s supervision.

Further discussion ensued regarding the Election Commission’s authority to challenge a high court ruling. The ECP’s counsel clarified that their objective wasn’t to exclude any political party but to enforce compliance with electoral regulations.

Mohmand, representing the ECP, reiterated that the PTI’s failure to conduct intra-party polls led to the nullification of their elections. He urged the court to revoke PTI’s stay order. The court then reserved its verdict after considering arguments from both parties.

The report was published on the GEO News website, and it is a reproduced version.