Islamabad, Pakistan

Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) will be breathing easy after the Peshawar High Court on Tuesday (Dec 26) suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) declaration of the PTI’s intra-party polls as unconstitutional whilst calling for revocation of the party's 'bat' election symbol. 

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Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel presided over the case and delivered the verdict after PTI filed a petition, objecting the ECP decision. 

“PTI lawyers informed [the court] that intra-party polls were carried out over the orders of the election commission," said Justice Miankhel, who directed that notices be issued to the ECP and other respondents in the case.

The court said the party's election symbol will be restored in a final decision by the double bench that will hear the matter after winter vacations. 

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After the decision, PTI counsel Barrister Ali Zafar said the court said the election symbol was the “life” of any party and a basic constitutional right of the organisation and its workers, supporters and voters.

“Today the high court has upheld that basic right and declared that the ‘bat’ symbol belongs to the PTI and restored it.”

Also read | Pakistan: Imran Khan’s party says loss of election symbol part of ‘London plan’

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What did ECP do?

It was last week that the five-member ECP bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, declared PTI's intra-party elections unlawful. 

The electoral watchdog voided PTI's internal elections for the second time in which Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was elected as the party's new chairman. 

"It is held that PTI has not complied with our directions rendered therein order dated 23rd November, 2023 and failed to hold intra-party election in accordance with PTI prevailing Constitution, 2019 and Election Act, 2017, and Election Rules, 2017," the ECP said in its 11-page order.

The ECP also declared the PTI ineligible to obtain an electoral symbol under the Elections Act, 2017. It added that PTI never submitted any record of any competent authority to exercise the intra-party elections.

Watch | Pakistan: Bat symbol taken away from Imran Khan's PTI

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'London plan'

After the order by the ECP, PTI called the decision a "part of the famous London plan" and a "disgusting and shameful attempt to stop PTI" from participating in the general elections. 

"The Election Commission of Pakistan has tried to destroy the constitution, democracy and transparency of elections in the country through its decision...This biased and biased decision of the Commission cannot stand in its place and we will challenge it before the Supreme Court," said the party on X.

With the all-important elections approaching, the loss of the election symbol would have meant that Khan's party and its connection to the public would have broken down. 

Voters in tribal areas identify Khan's party primarily with its bat symbol. Given Khan's acclaimed record as one of the finest cricketers Pakistan has ever produced, his party is identified with the cricket bat across the country. 

(With inputs from agencies)