After days of deliberations, the Election Commission of Pakistan on Saturday finally challenged the verdict passed by a single member Peshawar High Court bench, which allowed the PTI to contest the February 8 general elections on “bat” – the party symbol.
The ECP for this purpose has filed a review petition so that the PHC verdict of suspending its orders about declaring the PTI intraparty elections illegal and removing the party from the list of sanctioned political parties, which meant that it could no longer contest the polls with the symbol.
In its December 26 ruling, the single-member bench had accepted a plea filed by the PTI and restored the party symbol till a final decision, as, according to the court, a two-member bench would hear the matter after winter vacations. According to the ECP petition, a division bench should hear the matter immediately for being a matter of public interest, noting that disputing any phase of the electoral exercise meant that the whole process had been challenged.
