ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: In a significant development, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday reinstated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) “bat” symbol, allowing the party to use its well-known emblem when it goes to the polls on February 8.
After the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared the intra-party election invalid and revoked the PTI’s electoral symbol (the “bat”), the PTI filed a petition, which was heard and ultimately led to the announcement of the judgment. All parties to the case were heard by the court.
The court deemed the ECP’s decision to be “incorrect” in its verdict.
After the ruling, the court halted the decision that had deprived the party of its emblem and directed the election watchdog to grant the PTI a certificate.
The court declared, “PTI is a political party entitled to an election symbol.”
Judges Ijaz Anwar and Arshad Ali, who make up the PHC bench, rendered the decision today.
The court had heard the arguments made by the PTI and ECP attorneys the day before.
The court heard from additional parties in the case during today’s session.
“PTI cannot be stopped now.”
“Now, no one can stop PTI from winning these elections,” PTI attorney Barrister Ali Zafar told the reporters outside the PHC following the verdict’s announcement.
The PTI senator praised the ruling, stating that PHC adhered to its custom of making announcements in accordance with the law.
“The court has mandated that PTI immediately upload the results of its intra-party polls onto its website and restore the bat symbol.”The decision to remove the PTI’s election symbol was overturned by the court. Barrister Zafar claimed that the PTI was the target of a plot to strip it of its bat symbol.
