SC will not interfere in ECP's domain, CJP tells PTI lawyer in bat symbol case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday said regulating political parties is the job of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), ARY News reported.

These remarks were made by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa while hearing the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) appeal against the Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict restoring the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) electoral symbol — bat.

“SC will not interfere in the domain of the Election Commission of Pakistan. However, if ECP commits any unconstitutional act then the court can look into it,” the CJP added.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarat Hilali hearing the electoral body’s appeal.

The proceedings of the case are being broadcast live on the SC website and YouTube channel.

Barrister Gohar, Shoaib Shaheen, Niazullah and Waleed Iqbal attended court proceedings today. PTI’s lawyer Hamid Khan in his remarks said the SC has clarified that no institution can file an appeal against the verdicts.

The ECP can file a review on appeals else there will be no worth of its decisions, the CJP remarked and added if the argument of PTI is accepted then questions will also be raised on its appeal in Peshawar High Court.

The CJP Isa asked Makhdoom whether the PHC’s written order had been issued or not, the latter replied that it had not been.

The lawyer then read out the PHC order that restored the PTI’s ‘bat’ symbol. He said that the ECP had not yet received “any notice” of the PHC order, to which the chief justice said, “I have not read the case file either.”

The top judge asked Makhdoom when he would be ready to present the case, at which the counsel urged the SC to adjourn the hearing till Monday. Makhdoom further said that the political parties would be allotted electoral symbols tomorrow.

Read more: ‘PTI bat symbol’: ECP challenges PHC decision in Supreme Court

The top judge observed that to adjourn the hearing till Monday, the PHC’s recent verdict would have to be suspended, adding that the apex court was ready to hear the case on Saturday and Sunday as well.

The ECP lawyer then sought time till tomorrow to prepare for the case.

PHC verdict

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 to strip 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.