Pak Supreme Court reserves verdict in election body versus Imran Khan-led party’s bat symbol case, decision expected later tonight

The SC proceedings are being broadcast live on the SC's website and YouTube channel.

Islamabad: Pakistan‘s Supreme Court on Saturday reserved its verdict on the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) petition against the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) January 10 order, which restored the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) cricket ‘bat’ symbol ahead of the February 8 general elections.

“The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on the petition filed by the ECP challenging the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order, which reinstated the “bat” electoral symbol for the PTI. The verdict is expected to be announced later tonight,” Dawn.com reported.

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After hearing arguments from the counsels of both the PTI and the ECP, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa remarked that he would consult his co-judges before coming up with observations, it said. “Both sides argued the case well. We will have a discussion. Let’s see what we come up with; can’t say anything yet,” the CJP added before the bench took a break.

The SC proceedings are being broadcast live on the SC’s website and YouTube channel.

Earlier in the day, CJP Isa had observed: The constitution of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) says that the chairman shall be elected every two years while other (members) every three years. Violation of the party constitution is proved to this extent. On Friday, in a blow to the PTI, the CJP ruled that a high court’s order to restore the PTI’s iconic cricket ‘bat’ symbol was prima facie, flawed.

The ECP on Thursday moved the apex court against the Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict that annulled its decision to declare as “unconstitutional” the organisational polls in Khan’s party and revoked the cricket ‘bat’ electoral symbol.

During the hearing on Friday, the chief justice, raising a pertinent question as to whether the high court declared PTI’s intra-party polls in line with the law, asked: “The issue of the bat electoral symbol’s allotment comes later. First, we will have to review the party’s intra-party elections.”

The election commission had on December 22 barred the PTI from keeping its ‘bat’ symbol for the upcoming February 8 election, citing irregularities in their internal polls that did not comply with the party’s own constitution and election laws.

Following the ECP’s decision to revoke their symbol, the PTI challenged it in the PHC where a single-member judge granting temporary relief reinstated the bat symbol and referred the case to a larger bench for a hearing on January 9. On December 30, the polling body challenged the PHC’s jurisdiction over the matter.

However, in a dramatic turn of events, the PHC reversed its earlier decision and upheld the ECP’s order. The PTI, however, after taking its fight to the Supreme Court, later withdrew its appeal and hoped for a favourable outcome from the PHC. The PHC on Wednesday declared the Commission’s order “illegal, without any lawful authority and of no legal effect”.

The commission, dissatisfied with the PHC order, challenged the decision in the apex court and sought its revocation.