ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) approached the Supreme Court on Saturday, filing another petition for an early hearing against the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) January 3 decision, which overturned its earlier decision by upholding the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) annulment of PTI’s intra-party polls and removal of the ‘bat’ symbol.
Despite the case being fixed before the divisional bench for hearing on January 9, PTI has sought the Supreme Court’s intervention, requesting a suspension of the PHC decision and the restoration of its party symbol as the election approaches.
In its plea, PTI urged the Supreme Court to prioritize its petition, advocating for a hearing on Monday “in the interest of justice.” Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, representing PTI, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that the election matter involves the crucial election symbol of a political party.
“If interim relief is not taken up and heard promptly,” warned Barrister Khan, “the applicant would be out of the process, and all its candidates would contest under separate symbols, possibly avoiding floor crossing laws and leading to corruption. Additionally, the applicant will have no share of the 227 reserved seats.”
The election symbol holds paramount significance for any political party, serving as a recognizable emblem for voters on polling day. PTI’s concern is that the absence of a unified symbol may cause confusion among voters, potentially impacting the election outcomes.
If the Supreme Court does not restore PTI’s electoral symbol, the party will face the upcoming elections without its familiar bat, which party leaders have acknowledged as a major setback.
On December 22, the ECP declared PTI’s intra-party polls “illegal” and stripped the party of the ‘bat’ symbol. In response, the electoral body filed a review petition at the high court, which had initially suspended the ECP’s order and restored the party’s ‘bat’ symbol until a final decision.
