PHC suspends ECP judgment on PTI intra-party elections, withdrawal of 'bat' symbol

PESHAWAR (92 News) – The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday suspended the judgment of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on the intra-party elections and withdrawal of the election symbol of 'bat'.

The court ruled that ECP verdict is suspended till the next hearing and a divisional bench will hear the case soon after the winter vacation. It observed that the last date for issuance of the election symbol is January 13.

Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel remarked that it was clear that a political party is being kept out of the elections. "How it is wrong if a registered party conducted the elections and submitted the certificate," he queried.

The court issued notices to the parties, seeking a reply from them.

Barrister Ali Zafar said that the ECP judgment was illegal. "The ECP had wrongly withdrawn the symbol of 'bat' which has been returned to the PTI. We have always trusted the judiciary. The PHC had driven the last nail into the coffin of the conspiracies being hatched against the PTI," he maintained.

In the petition filed on Tuesday, the PTI had contended that the ECP has no power to decide on the procedure of the intra-party elections. "The person who challenged the elections in the ECP was not a member of the party. The court should conduct the hearing today and annul the verdict of the ECP," it prayed.

Meanwhile, PTI lawyer Babar Awan has filed a contempt of court plea in the Supreme Court. "The PTI's election symbol was 'bat' and it will remain the 'bat'," he added.