PTI’s bat case: LHC notifies parties

Lahore: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Thursday issued a notice to the parties on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) request to withdraw the election symbol of bat and sought their response.

A five-member larger bench comprising Justice Shahid Karim, Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhary, Justice Jawad Hassan and Justice Risal Hussain headed by Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza of LHC heard the petition of PTI.

The petition filed by the PTI in the LHC stated that the action of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to withdraw the electoral symbol from the PTI before the general elections was illegal.

The petition requested that the action of the ECP against the intra-party election of PTI should be declared null and void. Sections 215, 209 and 208 of the Election Act and others should be declared unconstitutional.

The petition further said that the ECP should be restrained from taking any action against PTI and the party should be re-allotted with the election symbol of bat.

Advocate Aziz Bhandari, arguing on behalf of the petitioner, stated that the Supreme Court in its judgment had written to challenge the provisions of the Election Act which revoked the electoral symbol of the party.

The petitioner's lawyer said that Article 17 says that a political party can be banned on two grounds, of which one includes the integrity and survival of Pakistan.

Later, the Court issued notices to the parties on the request of PTI to withdraw the electoral symbol of the bat and sought their response at the next hearing.