In a significant development ahead of the Elections 2024, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) has lifted the stay order and reinstated the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to declare Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) intra-party polls null and void. The decision includes the removal of PTI’s election symbol, the ‘bat’.
On December 26, a single-member bench led by Justice Ejaz Khan delivered the verdict on a review plea filed by the ECP. Despite the PHC’s announcement, the decision has not been implemented yet, as emphasized by PTI’s advocates, Anwar and Barrister Gohar Khan, during the hearing.
Political parties express their support for the ECP’s stance in court, while PTI’s lawyer questions the ECP’s authority to challenge the high court’s ruling, prompting inquiries about filing a contempt case.
Justice Khan highlights PTI’s opportunity to file a contempt case and stresses the party’s desire for free and fair elections. The court reserves the verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.
The controversy began on December 2 when the ECP nullified PTI’s intra-party elections, citing non-compliance with the Elections Act 2017 and PTI’s constitution, subsequently declaring PTI ineligible for using the ‘bat’ symbol. PTI challenged the ECP’s decision in the Peshawar High Court, leading to this latest development.
The intra-party elections, electing Barrister Gohar Khan as PTI chairman, faced criticism from estranged founding member Akbar S. Babar, who alleged a selective process favoring lawyers over party workers.
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