LHC Reserves Ruling on Symbols Petition Over Constitutional Rights Concerns

Lahore High Court Reserves Decision on Election Symbols Petition

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has decided to reserve its decision regarding a petition challenging a provision in the Election Act that allows authorities to withdraw election symbols from political parties. The petition was filed by Salma Bibi, who argued that Section 215(5) of the Election Act conflicts with Article 17 of the Constitution.

Article 17 guarantees the right to form political parties and participate in elections, according to Bibi’s legal team. They contended that taking away an election symbol strips a party of its political identity and denies it meaningful participation in the electoral process.

The petitioner also argued that the Election Commission (ECP) does not have judicial authority to politically disqualify a party by withdrawing its symbol. The LHC has yet to rule on the maintainability of the petition.