Following the Supreme Court’s decision setting aside the Peshawar High Court order that reinstated “bat” as the party’s electoral symbol, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf announced that its candidates would contest elections independently.
Talking to journalists outside the apex court, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that all the party candidates will contest the Feb 8 general elections independently. “We will issue a list of all our candidates with their election symbols,” he said.
Barrister Gohar noted that the Supreme court’s order was ‘controversial’ and it had ‘deeply disappointed’ him, announcing that his party would challenge the Supreme Court’s verdict.
“Whether we have the bat or not, the people are still us,” the PTI chief said, noting that it was the court’s duty to ensure that every person’s basic rights are guaranteed.
He pointed out that the technical grounds, on which the judgment was given, was misread, claiming that contesting elections independently would open new doors of corruption.
Taking over the presser, PTI leader Barrister Ali Zafar said the party was anticipating the decision, therefore, their preparations were complete. “We will compete the February 8 with all-out force,” he added.
“PTI candidates cannot be barred from contesting elections as independents”, Ali Zafar said, regretting that ‘soft questions’ were asked from the people who appeared before the apex court.
