PHC directs ECP to decide on PTI’s intra-party polls case by tomorrow

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide the matter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) intra-party elections and allocation of election symbol by tomorrow (December 22), ARY News reported on Thursday.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Attique Shah and Justice Shakeel Ahmed announced the verdict, which was reserved earlier in the day, on a set of PTI petitions, ordering the electoral watchdog to decide on the matter in ‘accordance with the law’.

In a written order issued today, the PHC noted that the dispute over the PTI’s intra-party elections had already been heard in detail by the ECP and the latter had also reserved its verdict in the case.

At the outset of the hearing, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Khan told the court that the party did not approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC) because they feared that their leaders might be arrested.

He said that the PTI candidates would be considered to be independent, if they were not allotted the election symbol by December 22.

Gohar Khan maintained that the party would not be allotted the election symbol ‘bat’ if the intra-party elections were not recognised by the election commission, accusing the ECP of using ‘delaying tactics’.

Read More: ECP reserves verdict on pleas against PTI’s intra-party elections

Moreover, he said those who had challenged the intraparty polls were not a part of the PTI anymore. He also submitted a list of all the registered PTI members in court.

Meanwhile, ECP counsel Mohsin Kamran said the commission would publish the results of “controversial” intra-party elections on its website once it was satisfied with them.

After hearing the arguments, the PHC ordered the ECP to decide the matter of Pakistan PTI’s intra-party elections and allocation of election symbol by tomorrow (December 22).

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had urged the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to direct the ECP to publish the results of its intra-party polls on the commission’s website, an exercise required to contest the general elections.

The political party held the intraparty elections on Dec 2 on directives issued by the electoral body. Gohar Khan was elected as the new party chief after being nominated by Imran Khan, who is incarcerated at Adiala Jail.