ISLAMABAD: In an unprecedented move at a time when the country is moving ahead towards new election, the Election Commission of Pakistan yesterday evening stripped off the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of its iconic ‘bat’ symbol a sign that depicts its founder, Imran Khan’s former cricket life.

Announcing its reserved verdict, a five-member ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja declared PTI’s intra-party elections unlawful.The 11-page order was announced on the petition of Akbar S Babar, a former PTI member, who claimed that the PTI did not stage the elections in line with the rules.

This serves as a major blow to the former ruling party as it gears up for the February 8 elections, with its founder PTI’s voter driving force already behind bars for months and his release does not seem soon.

“The PTI has not complied with our directions and failed to hold the intra-party election in accordance with the PTI prevailing Constitution, 2019, and Election Act, 2017, and Election Rules, 2017,” the order read. It is pertinent to mention here that with the elections being declared unlawful, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who replaced Khan as the party’s chairman, is no longer the party’s top head.

The party also seems to be running out of time as the extended deadline for submitting the nomination papers expires tomorrow and the party only has one day to move courts against the ECP’s decision.

The PTI has complained repeatedly that it is being targeted and not being given a level-playing field, but today, just hours before the order, the ECP had assured the party it would be provided equal opportunities. Moments after news of the ECP’s decision was aired, the PTI took to X to term the decision part of the “famous London Plan” and a “disgusting and shameful attempt to stop PTI from [participating in the] election.”

It claimed that the party would still win the general elections. The party said it would appeal the decision at every forum, asserting that its candidates would indeed contest the polls with the ‘bat’ symbol.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 23 2023

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