PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday granted interim relief to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), restoring its election symbol — “bat” — till a final decision on the party’s plea against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) ruling against intra-party polls.
While announcing a verdict reserved on PTI’s petition, the court suspended the ECP’s order declaring the intra-party polls “illegal”, adjourning the hearing till the end of winter vacations.
The court stated that a two-member bench will resume the proceedings on the matter.
The electoral body on December 22, stripped the party of its iconic “bat’” symbol — a sign that depicts its founder, Imran Khan’s former life of cricket, in a decision on former PTI leader Akbar S Babar’s petition challenging the intra-party elections to be in line with the rules.
Reacting to the development, PTI’s Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the PHC’s ruling “put the final nail in conspirators’ coffin”.
He said that the conspiracies against the PTI failed after the PHC ruling today.
“The PTI was being cornered and the suspension of the ECP’s verdict was necessary,” he added.