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- January 15, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
The Pakistan Supreme Court has maintained the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) judgment to remove the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) bat symbol. Imran Khan is the leader of the former cricket star PTI. The PTI, who claimed that the ECP’s order breached their constitutional rights and the fundamentals of free and fair elections, lost their appeal before the court.
From the PTI’s founding in 1996, when Imran Khan entered politics following Pakistan’s triumph in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, the emblem of the “bat” has been linked to the party. The symbol represents the party’s vision of transformation, young empowerment, and anti-corruption. It also illustrates how well-liked and charismatic Imran Khan is among the general public, particularly among young and urban voters.
On December 22, 2023, the ECP removed PTI’s “bat” symbol from the party after determining that it had not conducted its internal elections in compliance with the election laws and its constitution. Additionally, the ECP has questioned the validity and openness of the party’s intra-party polls, which were conducted in June 2023 using an online voting mechanism.
PTI has challenged the ECP’s ruling in the Peshawar High Court (PHC), whereupon on December 26, 2023, a one-member bench restored the “bat” emblem and referred the matter to a bigger bench for a hearing on January 9, 2024. This provided PTI with a temporary remedy. But on January 3, 2024, the PHC overruled its previous ruling and upheld the ECP’s judgment in response to a review appeal that the ECP had submitted.
PTI then took the Supreme Court against the PHC’s ruling, intending to get its ‘bat’ symbol before the general elections due on February 8, 2024. On January 13, 2024, the top court did, however, reject the PTI’s petition following hearing from all sides. The court noted that the ECP had the power and duty to guarantee that the political parties abide by the election code of conduct and all applicable laws.
The PTI, which hopes to form Pakistan’s next government, has suffered a serious blow with the removal of the “bat” symbol. The party will now need to inform its candidates and followers across the nation of their new symbol, which they will select from the ECP’s list of permissible emblems. In addition, the party will have to contend with rival political groups that have established logos and catchphrases, including the “arrow” of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the “lion” of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The PTI leadership has claimed that the ECP is biased and has been swayed by the ruling party, and they have expressed their displeasure and anger at the court’s decision. In addition, the party has urged its supporters and employees to stay steadfast and unified in its fight for justice and democracy.