ISLAMABAD: On Saturday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) challenged the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) decision to suspend the ECP ruling on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) intra-party polls and the party’s ‘cricket bat’ electoral symbol. The PHC had earlier suspended the ECP ruling.
In light of the PHC’s decision to reject the ECP’s recommendation, the electoral body sought advice from attorneys after engaging in internal debates. These discussions led to the filing of the petition.
An attorney for the ECP has asked for an early hearing by requesting the formation of a special two-member bench in their motion.
Restoration of the party’s ‘cricket bat’ electoral emblem and suspension of the PTI’s internal polls’ “unconstitutional” declaration were both accomplished on December 26 by the PHC.
The court’s judgment mandated that the election commission reinstate the party’s electoral symbol and publish the PTI’s certificate on its website.
“Because elections are set to take place on 8th February 2024 and the deadline for election symbol allocation is 13th January 2024, it is crucial to address the immediate need to restore the symbol to a political party that has been stripped of its symbol. This deprives the general public of the opportunity to vote for the petitioners’ party,” it further stated.
The decision made by PHC has irritated political parties.
Many political groups, including the PPP, JUI-F, and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), condemned the PHC’s decision.
The judgment of the PHC was described by Shehbaz Sharif, president of the PML-N and a former prime minister, as “pre-poll rigging that reeks of partisanship.” He claimed the ECP’s ruling on the “irregularities and rigging” in the PTI’s internal elections was founded on facts.
