PTI files review petition in Supreme Court for return of election symbol
- By Web Desk -
- Feb 06, 2024
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday filed review petition in Supreme Court for return of the party’s election symbol of ‘bat’, ARY News reported.
The PTI has pleaded to the apex court for return of election symbol of bat, seeking the court to review Jan 13 court decision.
It is to be mentioned here that the supreme court in its decision had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) Dec 22 order depriving the party of its symbol of ‘bat’.
The PTI has pleaded to the top court to restore the Peshawar High Court’s decision of returning the party’s election symbol.
According to the petition the Supreme Court has not taken the facts of the intra-party elections in true context. “Taking back the election symbol of a political party is violation of the fundamental rights of voters,” the party argued.
Petitioner argued that the constitution gives citizens right to form a political party and contesting election. “The election commission by taking back the PTI’s election symbol goes beyond to its authority,” according to petition.
Senior lawyers Hamid Khan and Ali Zafar have filed petition in the apex court making the election commission and the complainants in the high court as respondents.
The Registrar Office has allotted diary number 2423/2024 to the petition.
“It is the election commission’s duty to ensure the level playing field to the PTI. The commission instead of acting against those responsible, has initiated proceeding against the party’s founder in jail,” according to the plea.
The petitioners have also requested to the court to look into the matter of withdrawal of ‘bat’ from the party in its true context.
A three-member bench led by CJP Qazi Faez Isa in its verdict Jan 13, dealt a huge blow to the PTI’s hopes of retaining its election symbol.
As a result, the PTI candidates contesting the elections independently with different electoral symbols while the party no longer has the right to reserved seats for women and minorities.