PESHAWAR (HRNW) – The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday restored the decision to allow the embattled Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to have bat as its election symbol.
The decision means the court has undone the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order stripping the PTI of bat.
The court announced the verdict moments after it reserved it on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petitions against rejection of intra-party elections by the ECP and withdrawal of bat as its election symbol.
Declaring as unconstitutional the ECP’s decision of revoking the ‘bat’ electoral symbol and rejecting its intra-party polls, the court directed the electoral body to hand the PTI its iconic ‘bat’ symbol back and upload the certificate of internal elections on its website.
“The PTI is entitled to ‘bat’ and should be given the same as its electoral symbol,” the PHC ruled.
The verdict was announced by the division bench, comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Syed Arshad Ali, on a petition filed by PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali and six other leaders requesting the court to declare the ECP order as illegal and without jurisdiction.
Justice Ijaz Anwar told PTI counsel Barrister Ali Zafar that Insha Allah, the case would be decided today and reserved judgement.
Barrister Zafar told the court that it was the last day today of hearings by the appellate tribunals decisions on appeals of acceptance and rejection of nomination papers.