PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday nullified the stay order that had temporarily reinstated the ‘bat’ symbol for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision declaring PTI’s intra-party polls as ‘illegal.’
The single-member bench, led by Justice Ejaz Khan, announced the reserved verdict, revoking the stay granted earlier.
The ECP’s decision to strip PTI of its ‘bat’ symbol was restored, sparking consequences for the party’s participation in the upcoming general elections on February 8.
The electoral body had filed a review petition against the PHC’s December 26 decision, leading to the latest verdict. PTI’s legal team, including Advocates Shah Faisal Uthmankhel and Qazi Anwar, contested the decision, emphasizing the importance of free and fair elections. The court’s decision comes after intense legal battles between PTI and the ECP over the legitimacy of PTI’s intra-party polls.
