PESHAWAR, Dec 26 (APP): The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision of declaring the PTI’s intra-party polls as unconstitutional and the revocation of its election symbol ‘bat’ till the final verdict on its petition.
The single-member bench comprising Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel announced the verdict which it had reserved on the petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf against the ECP’s decision earlier in the day.
During the course of proceedings, Justice Miankhel observed that the general elections were about to take place on February 8, 2024, and that the last date for allotting the election symbols was January 13.
He said that the arguments of all the parties involved in the case were heard.
PTI lawyers, including Barrister Ali Zafar pleaded that the intra-party polls were carried out on the orders of the ECP and the latter’s December 22 decision might be declared illegal.
They argued that according to the Constitution, any citizen could form a party or be a member of any party.
Judge Miankhel directed that notices be issued to the ECP and other respondents in the case.
It may be mentioned that the ECP on December 22 declared the intra-party elections of the PTI null and void, besides revocation of its election symbol ‘bat.
