ISLAMABAD: In a major development, when the PTI lawyers are inside the supreme court to retain their iconic symbol, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) barred the returning officers (ROs) from allocating alternative symbol to such candidates, seeking election symbol of other political parties, reported by a private television channel on Saturday evening.
The news appeared on media quoting the ECP, soon after the news was circulating about the plan B of PTI to flexing muscles for switching towards the symbol of the batsman, a symbol already assigned to the PTI-Nazriati group, creating exciting confusion.
The news is already circulating on social media from the official X account of PTI directing its candidates to submit their entries under PTI-Nazriati to avoid any difficulties in the future, particularly in case the party becomes unable to get the symbol of the bat.
جن افراد کے پاس ”تحریک انصاف نظریاتی “کے ٹکٹ ہیں وہ فوری طور پر جمع کروا دیں
اور کسی قسم کی رکاوٹ پر شکایات الیکشن کمیشن اور ہائی کورٹ میں لے کر جائیں pic.twitter.com/TyCcLARHTI
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 13, 2024
Meanwhile, a three member bench led by Chief Justice Faiz Esa is hearing the case in the apex court, whereas a short order is expected tonight about the future of the iconic symbol for PTI. ECP has challenged the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) decision over PTI’s electoral symbol, “bat”.
PTI Candidates on Alternate Symbol
It is worth mentioning here that scores of PTI candidates had been issued multiple tickets to work on Plan B. However, the Election Commission issued the directives to Ros to bar them from allocating alternate symbols.
The ECP’s order maintained that candidates, already members of a political party, would be prohibited from requesting the symbol of another party.
Meanwhile, the decision of the Supreme Court would provide a direction for PTI on how to contest the coming election.
