PTI’s election symbol bat restored

Peshawar: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) Wednesday restored the election symbol bat of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

According to the details, a two-member bench of PHC comprising Justice Ejaz Anwar and Justice Syed Arshad Ali of PHC heard a case related to PTI intra-party elections and election symbol bat of PTI in which the court accepted the petition of PTI.

The Peshawar High Court annulled the December 22 decision of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

During the hearing today, Qazi Jawad advocate argued: “My client wanted to get information from the PTI central office which he did not get. It was found out from the media that PTI intra-party elections were held which we requested to be annulled. My client wanted to participate in the elections but was not given the opportunity”.

Justice Ejaz Anwar asked if they did not say that intra-party elections should be held again. If the Election Commission declared the intra-party elections null and void, you should have demanded re-elections, if you belonged to the party, you should have objected to the withdrawal of the party symbol, but you did not.

Lawyer Qazi Jawad said that they were not given a chance in the elections, so the Election Commission moved against them.

Justice Ejaz Anwar said that intra-party elections of PTI were held in Peshawar, which were declared null and void by the Election Commission. He asked how come the PHC does not have the authority to hear the petition.

Qazi Jawad Advocate stated that the question of jurisdiction is very important, the jurisdiction of the High Court has been determined in various decisions of the courts, PTI also went to the Lahore High Court (LHC), where their petition was dismissed.

Justice Ejaz Anwar added that the LHC has written that the case is under hearing in the Peshawar High Court and the Supreme Court, let the PHC decide.

Justice Arshad Ali asked that once the schedule is released, then how can the election symbol be decided, if a political party can contest elections without symbol.

During the hearing, the complainant's lawyer said in his arguments that PTI is talking about level playing field, then give this field to its workers, the party workers did not know where the elections were, then a bubble arose and intra-party elections were held.

Justice Ejaz remarked, 'Then that bubble also burst, here dear ones keep changing, you should not talk about politics and come to the legal point, you are also saying that the intra-party elections did not go well. It is okay to withdraw the sign from them'.

On which the lawyer said that why should I support a party which cannot hold intra-party elections according to the law. Election symbols keep changing, a new symbol can be given for every election.

Later in the case, Naveed Akhtar, the lawyer of Jahangir of Charsadda, said in his arguments that his client has been the district president who was dismissed from the party on a statement. The officials were not elected as per the constitution, which is mandatory. The updated list of office bearers has to be given to the Election Commission, the electoral symbol is also given to the political party according to its credibility, party constitution and voter protection must be kept in mind.

After hearing the arguments of the petitioners, Election Commission and PTI lawyers, the two-member bench of Peshawar High Court pronounced a protective verdict and restored the election symbol 'bat' of Tehreek-e-Insaf .