Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Requests Supreme Court Review of Electoral Symbol Verdict Before Polls

In anticipation of the upcoming elections scheduled for February 8, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has made a significant move by approaching the Supreme Court to seek a review of the apex court’s recent verdict concerning the party’s intra-party elections and electoral symbol.

According to the report, PTI filed a review petition on Wednesday, urging the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision issued on January 13. In that ruling, the apex court upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision, which deemed PTI’s intra-party polls “unconstitutional” and revoked the party’s electoral symbol.

The petition filed by PTI seeks to challenge the apex court’s decision and restore the ruling of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), which on January 10, declared the electoral watchdog’s decision invalid after hearing PTI’s plea. The PHC’s decision came following PTI’s petition challenging the ECP’s declaration of the intra-party polls as null and void, along with the revocation of their electoral symbol, the “bat.”

PTI emphasized in its petition to the Supreme Court that the intra-party elections conducted in December were in accordance with the party’s constitution. The party argued that the Election Commission does not possess the authority to review intra-party elections.

Earlier in January, a three-member Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, nullified the PHC’s verdict and revoked PTI’s electoral symbol “bat.” The apex court’s judges disagreed with the PHC’s ruling that the ECP lacked jurisdiction to question or adjudicate intra-party elections. They argued that such an interpretation would render provisions in the Election Act, 2017, pertaining to intra-party polls redundant.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court’s verdict highlighted that the ECP had been urging PTI to hold intra-party elections since May 24, 2021, during the party’s time in power. The court asserted that this could not be construed as victimization of PTI by the ECP.

The apex court deemed PTI’s petition filed in the Peshawar High Court as “not maintainable” due to the absence of disclosure regarding a similar pending petition before the Lahore High Court. The court emphasized that once a petitioner chooses a particular court, the same dispute cannot be taken to another court.

As PTI seeks a review of the Supreme Court’s decision, the outcome of the petition will be closely watched in the lead-up to the upcoming elections.