'PTI bat symbol': ECP challenges PHC decision in Supreme Court

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday moved the Supreme Court (SC) against the Peshawar High Court’s decision allowing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to retain its electoral symbol, ARY News reported.

The ECP, in a plea, has pleaded with the apex court to overturn the PHC verdict which is against the ‘constitution’.

The moves comes after a consultative meeting was held on Thursday with Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in the chair.

Following the meeting, the election commission’s legal team started preparing the petition for moving the apex court on the order of the ECP officials.

Meanwhile, the caretaker information minister also held a meeting with officials of the election commission. The meeting was also attended by the four members of the commission and the ECP legal team.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Wednesday got back ‘bat’ as its election symbol after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) nullified the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order of stripping the party of using the ‘bat’ symbol.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf moved Peshawar High Court to challenge the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision declaring the intra-party election as null and void and revoking their electoral symbol “bat”.

A two-member Peshawar High Court (PHC) bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Arshad Ali announced the verdict.

The PHC while nullifying the order of the ECP, allowed the PTI to contest elections on ‘bat’ symbol. The verdict further directed the electoral body to upload the PTI’s certificate on its website.

On January 3, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) revoked the stay order and restored the ECP decision to declare PTI intra-party polls null and void and strip it of its election symbol — bat.

A single-member bench comprising Justice Ejaz Khan announced the reserved verdict on a review plea filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the December 26 single-member bench order.