ISLAMABAD: The PTI on Monday said it would challenge the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to declare its intra-party polls as unconstitutional and revoke the iconic ‘bat’ symbol in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) tomorrow (Tuesday).
The development comes after the electoral watchdog last week voided, for the second time in less than a month, PTI’s internal elections in which Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was easily elected as the par-ty’s new chairman.
The verdict came following a first-of-its-kind microscopic examination of the inner workings of a politi-cal party and declared the party ineligible to obtain an election symbol to contest the upcoming gen-eral elections.
“It is held that PTI has not complied with our directions rendered therein order dated 23rd November 2023 and failed to hold intra-party election in accordance with PTI prevailing Constitution, 2019 and Election Act, 2017, and Election Rules, 2017,” the ECP had said in its 11-page order.
The party had termed the decision part of the “famous London Plan” and a “disgusting and shameful attempt to stop PTI from [participating in the] election”.
It had also claimed that the party would still win the general elections, maintaining that it would appeal the decision at every forum. It asserted that its candidates would indeed contest the polls with the ‘bat’ symbol, come what may.
Speaking to Dawn.com today, PTI lawyer and central information secretary Mohammad Muazzam Butt said the party had decided to approach the high court and would file a writ petition on Dec 26. –Agencies
