Before the general elections, PTI’s “bat” symbol is removed by ECP

On Friday evening, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lost its famous “bat” symbol, which represents Imran Khan, the party’s founder, playing cricket. This was done by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

A five-member ECP bench led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja pronounced the PTI’s intra-party elections illegal, announcing its reserved ruling.

The 11-page ruling was made in response to a plea filed by former PTI member Akbar S. Babar, who alleged that the PTI had not conducted the elections in accordance with the law.

With its founder, the PTI’s main voter motivator, now behind bars for months and no indication of when he would be released, this deals a serious blow to the previous ruling party as it prepares for the elections on February 8.

“The order stated that the PTI has not followed our instructions and has not conducted the intra-party election in line with the PTI prevailing Constitution, 2019, Election Act, 2017, and Election Rules, 2017.”

The party’s top leader, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who took Khan’s place as chairman, is no longer in office as a result of the elections being ruled illegal.

The party only has one day (Saturday) to file a lawsuit against the ECP’s ruling, and the extended deadline for submitting nomination papers expires on Sunday, giving the party even less time.

The ECP had promised the party it will be given equal opportunity just hours before the order was issued, despite the PTI’s persistent complaints that it is being singled out and not being given a fair chance.

The PTI appears to be “under attack,” according to political expert Mazhar Abbas, who told that the electoral commission has “never” ruled that any political party’s internal polls are illegal.

This has never occurred. Abbas stated, “Symbols have been taken back, but this is the first time that the ECP has given an order on a party’s intra-party polls.” Parties have chosen to use different approaches, as was the case with the polls from 1985, thus the PTI would also need to devise a plan.

He continued by saying that the PTI might use social media to spread knowledge about its symbols and candidates’ names if its candidates run as independents. “But one thing is certain: The PTI is finding this election more and more difficult.”

In retaliation, the PTI declared that they would be knocking on the doors of the high court to request relief. The judgment will need to be made on Saturday since, after the deadline, they will be unable to obtain the bat emblem.

Barrister Gohar said Geo News, “We will not boycott the elections, we have a plan B,” without going into detail about the strategy because his party is still under a lot of pressure following back-to-back challenges.

Former ECP secretary Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad informed that PTI members would have to run as independent candidates in the general elections as a result of the commission’s directive.

“The PTI’s candidates will have to contest the polls independently since the party’s intra-party elections were rejected for the third time,” the speaker declared