ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) Monday fixed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plea seeking restoration of ‘bat’ as an electoral symbol for hearing, ARY News reported.
On January 4, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) approached the Supreme Court (SC) against the Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict, which restored the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order, leading to the revocation of the party’s electoral symbol,’bat’.
According to details, the plea was fixed for hearing during level playing field case hearing
During the hearing, PTI lawyer Shoaib Shaheen pleaded with the Supreme Court to hear the ‘bat’ symbol case today at any time, as the Peshawar High Court is scheduled to take up the hearing tomorrow.
During the hearing, CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa, while summoning Hamid Khan, remarked a majority of pleas being heard by the courts are of PTI. You want cases to be fixed for hearing, but do not bother to come to the courtroom, he added.
Read more: PTI knocks at SC doors to reclaim ‘bat’ symbol
After being summoned by the CJP, Hamid Khan reached the courtroom and pleaded for hearing of the ‘bat’ symbol case today. We cannot hear this case today as there are many other important pleas already scheduled for hearing today, the top judge remarked.
Hamid Khan then requested the court to fix the hearing for January 10.
Later, the SC fixed the hearing for January 10.
ECP verdict
On December 2, the ECP had nullified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s intra-party elections, for the third time since last year, declaring the PTI ineligible for obtaining its traditional electoral symbol of ‘bat’.
In its verdict, the ECP said, “So keeping in view the clear mandate of Elections Act 2017 – it is held that PTI has not complied with our directions rendered therein order dated 23rd November, 2023 and failed to hold intra-party election in accordance with PTI prevailing Constitution 2019 and Elections Act 2017, and Election Rules, 2017. Therefore, the certificate dated 4th December, 2023 and Form-65 filed by the alleged chairman, is hereby regretted and rejected accordingly”.
PTI had challenged the ECP verdict in Peshawar High Court.
PTI’s intraparty elections, in which Barrister Gohar Khan was elected as chairman of the party, were held on December 2.
The polls had drawn a sharp criticism as estranged PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar announced that he would challenge the entire process. He had alleged that the PTI had carried out a selection process aimed at throwing out party workers to give the reins to a few lawyers.
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