It's official: PTI loses 'bat' symbol ahead of general election 2024

ISLAMABAD: In a major setback for the Pakistan Tehreek-s-Insaf (PTI), the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Friday revoked the party's "bat" electoral symbol over irregularities and discrepancies in the intra-party polls — which it declared "null and void" in its verdict.

A five-member ECP bench led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja announced its reserved verdict after the PTI's founding member Akbar S Babar — along with other party members — had moved the top electoral body seeking fresh elections after PTI's "rigged/fraudulent" intra-party polls.

“PTI has not complied with our directions [...] and failed to hold intra-party election in accordance with PTI prevailing Constitution, 2019, and Election Act, 2017, and Election Rules, 2017,” the ECP's 11-page order read.

Geo News reported that with the elections being declared unlawful, Barrister Gohar Khan, who replaced Khan as the party's chairman, is no longer the party's top head.

Amid difficulties in filing the nomination papers faced by the party's candidates ahead of the general elections slated for February 8, 2024, the development is a significant blow to the former ruling party as its founder Imran Khan is already incarcerated with no prospects of securing his release anytime soon.

PTI also seems to be running out of time as the extended deadline for submitting the nomination papers expires on Sunday and the party only has one day (Saturday) to move courts against the ECP’s decision.

The PTI has complained repeatedly that it is being targeted and not being given a level-playing field, but today, just hours before the order, the ECP had assured the party it would be provided equal opportunities.

Political analyst Mazhar Abbas told Geo.tv that the election commission has “never” declared any political party’s internal polls unlawful, noting that it seems like the PTI is “under attack”.

“This has never happened. Symbols have been taken back [...] but this is the first time that the ECP has given an order on a party’s intra-party polls,” Abbas said, adding that parties have opted for alternate methods, as it happened in 1985’s polls, so the PTI would also have to come up with a strategy.

He added that with the power of social media, if PTI’s candidates run as independents, the party could disseminate information about their symbols and the names of the people. “But one thing is for sure: This election is getting harder and harder for the PTI.”

In response, the PTI has announced knocking at the door of the high court to seek relief — and the decision will have to be on Saturday as if the deadline expires, there's nothing that they can do to get the bat symbol.

“We will not boycott the elections [...] we have a plan B,” Barrister Gohar told Geo News, without elaborating what the strategy was, as his party remains under immense pressure after back-to-back challenges.

Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, a former secretary of the ECP, told Geo News that following the commission’s order, PTI’s members would have to run in the general elections as independent candidates.

“Since the PTI’s intra-party elections were rejected for the third time, its [PTI’s] candidates will have to contest the polls independently,” he said.