PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) is scheduled to consider the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) appeal against a previous ruling by its single bench regarding the electoral 'bat' symbol of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the intra-party elections on Wednesday (tomorrow).
This comes after the electoral body submitted a review petition challenging the December 26 decision, which temporarily reinstated PTI's 'bat' symbol until a final resolution is reached. The ECP had initially deemed PTI's intra-party polls "illegal" and revoked their use of the 'bat' symbol.
The PTI, in response, approached the PHC, seeking the restoration of its party symbol in preparation for the upcoming general elections on February 8.
During the recent hearing conducted by a single-member bench led by PHC's Justice Ijaz Khan, the verdict was reserved after the ECP's lawyer presented arguments.
Notably, PTI lawyers were absent from the proceedings but later requested to be heard before a decision was made, leading to the adjournment of the hearing until the following day.
The ECP's legal representative informed the court that the electoral body had filed a review plea against the PHC's order, emphasizing concerns about the improper conduct of PTI's intra-party elections. The lawyer highlighted that questions were raised regarding the ECP's powers, claiming that the initial decision was deemed unconstitutional.
Criticizing the single bench's stay order, the lawyer asserted that it effectively served as a final verdict on the matter rather than interim relief.
The ECP's lawyer also pointed out that PTI had simultaneously filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC), questioning the legitimacy of seeking redress from multiple courts.
In response, Justice Khan inquired about the absence of any representatives from the petitioner's party in the court. The ECP's lawyer confirmed their absence and urged the court to rescind the December 26 order, proposing the establishment of a new bench to ensure a fair and thorough hearing.
Meanwhile, the advocate general expressed the federation's disinterest in becoming a party to the case, stating, "We have nothing to do with it; we should be removed from this case." The court subsequently reserved the verdict following the conclusion of the arguments.
