PTI electoral symbol: ECP likely to decide on challenging PHC verdict today

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is likely to hold a consultative meeting today (Thursday) to decide whether to challenge the Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict restoring the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) electoral symbol, Geo News reported.

A day earlier, a two-member bench of the PHC comprising Justice Ejaz Anwar and Justice Syed Arshad Ali announced a short order on a petition jointly filed by PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan and six other party leaders, requesting the court to declare the ECP order as illegal and without jurisdiction.

The order said the ECP decision of December 22, 2023 was “illegal, without any lawful authority and of no legal effect.”

A detailed judgment will be issued later.

The court directed the ECP to publish on its website the certificate filed by the PTI after holding intra-party polls.

“It is further held and declared that the PTI is entitled to the election symbol strictly in terms of Sections 215 and 217 read with any other enabling provision of the Election Act 2017 and Election Rules 2017,” the order said.

After the verdict, the ECP held a brief consultative meeting on the situation arising out of the restoration of the symbol of ‘bat’ for the PTI.

Sources in the commission told The News that certain legal and constitutional aspects of the matter were discussed during the meeting.

The forum will have another but detailed session today (Thursday) where the law wing will brief the commission, and the members would also give their opinion on possible options.

They pointed out the ECP is expected to decide whether or not the PHC’s decision is to be challenged before the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

It is pertinent that time constraint is a real challenge, as the Returning Officers (ROs) are to allocate poll symbols to the contesting candidates on January 13, who were sent the list of symbols on Tuesday and the list did not contain over a dozen symbols, including ‘bat’.