PTI to move court against ECP order of ‘bat’ symbol stripping

After suffering a major blow owing to the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) verdict declaring its intra-party polls "unlawful" and revoking its "bat" symbol, the Pakistan Tehreek-s-Insaf (PTI) has announced to approach the courts while categorically rebuking the possibility of boycotting the February 8, 2024, general elections slated.

Speaking to Geo News, PTI's now-former chairman Barrister Gohar Khan termed the ECP's ruling as a "conspiracy" against the former ruling party and said that the party would challenge the electoral body's ruling in the courts.

His remarks come as the Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja-led five-member ECP bench announced its reserved verdict declaring the PTI's December 2 intra-party polls as "null and void".

Barrister Gohar underscored that his party already had concerns about the ECP from day one. He accused the electoral watchdog did not monitor any other party as it focused on his party’s matters.

“We held the intra-party elections as par the party law and constitution. We had asked the ECP to inform us which law or section of the constitution had been violated during the PTI intra-party polls.”

In its reply filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC), the ECP did not say a single word about it, the PTI leader said and asked which Section of the Elections Act 2017 was violated by his party.

Gohar termed the ECP’s decision “political and based on personalities”, saying that they had conducted the intra-party polls in line with the law and the constitution.

“The ECP already determined to take back the 'bat' symbol from the PTI.”

He added that the electoral watchdog had never monitored other parties’ intra-party elections as it did during the PTI’s.

“It is a conspiracy. You are depriving a big political party of its election symbol and [compelling] all of its candidates to go into the general elections as independent candidates.”

“Currently, there are 70 reserved seats in the National Assembly. The total number of reserved seats in Pakistan is 227. The seats are divided among those parties who have election symbols [as par their parties’ strength in the assemblies].”

The lawmakers elected on reserved seats play a crucial role during the elections for the slots of president, prime minister, chief minister and Senate chairman, he added.

"The conspiracy was hatched to confuse PTI’s supporters and candidates during the upcoming general elections."

To another query, the PTI leader said, "Did any members of the ECP ask any question which was not addressed by the former ruling party?"

Accusing the ECP of being biased towards PTI, Gohar said that the Supreme Court had issued an order in connection with the foreign funding case about all the political parties. Recovery proceedings started against the PTI but the authorities turned a blind eye to the other political parties, he added. “All the things speak for themselves.”

Responding to another question, the PTI leader said that they had also a “Plan B” about the elections. He strongly ruled out the possibility of a boycott of the election by his party.

Meanwhile, taking to social media, PTI leader Taimur Khan Jhagra said that the move is aimed at keeping the party out of the election race by forcing the candidates to contest the elections independently — via revoking the party's electoral symbol.

Calling for "course correction", Jhagra claimed that the party would be back with its electoral symbol.

"It still won't work [...] the bat will still be back," he wrote on his X account.

More to follow...