Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision in the Peshawar High Court (PHC). PTI contends that the ECP overstepped its authority by dictating how party elections are conducted, asserting that such interference in internal affairs is unwarranted.
The petition, filed in the PHC, questions the legitimacy of those challenging PTI’s intra-party elections, emphasizing that they are not bona fide members. This raises doubts about their standing to contest the internal processes, as per the contents of the petition.
Amid fears of similar treatment by the ECP, petitioners challenging PTI’s intra-party elections have been included in PTI’s legal challenge. The ECP’s decision to nullify PTI’s inter-party elections and withdraw the party’s election symbol has fueled this legal confrontation.
The petition urges the court to form a bench of senior judges and expedite the hearing, with a specific request to schedule it for today. Barrister Gohar, representing PTI, emphasized the urgency, stating that even during winter vacations, a single bench has the prerogative to suspend the ECP’s decision.
Barrister Gohar warned of dire consequences if a political party’s symbol is taken away, stating, “If a political party’s symbol is taken away, the party disappears.”
PTI’s lawyer, Babar Awan, affirmed PTI’s commitment to the bat symbol and Imran Khan as the founding chairman. He announced the intention to challenge the ECP’s decision in the Supreme Court, including filing a contempt of court case for obstructing the election, as warned by the Supreme Court.