By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday barred the party of former prime minister Imran Khan from using its ‘bat’ symbol in the upcoming general election, citing irregularities in its internal polls.
The decision came after a dissident leader of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party challenged its internal elections, held earlier this month, alleging that they were flawed and rigged and violated the party’s constitution and the election laws.
The bat symbol is a reflection of Khan’s illustrious career as a cricketer, who captained Pakistan to its only World Cup victory in 1992. The symbol has become synonymous with the PTI, which claims to represent a new and clean politics in the country.
A five-member ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja reserved the judgment this Friday after hearing arguments from both sides—the PTI and petitioners that challenged the intraparty polls.
The ECP said in a 11-page verdict that the PTI had failed to hold a fair and transparent intraparty election, and therefore was ineligible to obtain the bat symbol that it had applied for.
The election commission said the PTI had failed to comply with its directions and the law, and had not appointed a proper federal election commission to oversee its internal polls.
“It is held that PTI has not complied with our directions rendered therein order dated 23rd November 2023 and failed to hold intraparty election in accordance with PTI’s prevailing Constitution 2019 and the Election Act, 2017, and Election Rules, 2017,” the commission said in its order, which was posted on social media platform X.
“Therefore, the certificate dated 4th December 2023 and Form 65 filed by the alleged Chairman, is hereby regretted and rejected accordingly,” it added.
“The provisions of Section 215 of the Election Act, 2017 are hereby invoked and PTI is hereby declared ineligible to obtain, the Election Symbol, for which they have applied for.”
The PTI said it would challenge the ECP decision in the country’s top court
The party said the decision was part of a “famous London Plan” – a reference to an alleged conspiracy by opposition parties to oust Khan – and a “disgusting and shameful attempt to stop PTI from election.”
Ladla Sharif cannot compete on ground , he knows he stands no chance to win when the voters are Pakkstanis. This yet another part of the famous London Plan, a disgusting and shameful attempt to stop PTI from election.
— PTI (@PTIofficial) December 22, 2023
InshAllah, “the bat is not dead. Long live the bat”. We will… https://t.co/N0cm7rGjJU
PTI’s newly elected chairman, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, said the party had conducted its elections according to the law and the constitution, and accused the commission of bias.
“We told the ECP to tell us which section and law was violated,” he told a local television channel. “The ECP had filed a reply with the court and said not one word about which constitutional provision or section of the rules were violated.”
The ECP’s decision is the latest setback for Khan, who is serving a three-year sentence in a prison in Rawalpindi after he was convicted by a trial court on corruption charges in October.
Pakistan is scheduled to hold its general elections on February 18, 2024, amid a tense political and security situation.
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