Peshawar High Court Restores PTI’s Electoral Symbol in Intra-Party Election Case
In a significant development, the Peshawar High Court has delivered a verdict on the case involving the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Intra-Party Election and Election Symbol. The court has nullified the decision of the Election Commission made on December 22, thereby reinstating PTI’s electoral symbol. The verdict comes in response to PTI’s plea, and the court has instructed the Election Commission to issue the necessary certification regarding the electoral symbol.
The legal proceedings unfolded at the Peshawar High Court, with Justice Ajaz Anwar and Justice Arshad Ali overseeing the case. The case involved 15 parties, including prominent figures such as Akbar Ais Babar, Raja Tahir Nawaz, and Noreen Farooq. After concluding the Election Commission’s arguments yesterday, today witnessed additional arguments from the parties and their legal representatives.
During the hearing, Yousaf Ali’s lawyer, Advocate Javad Adwokati, highlighted that his client, a former district general secretary of PTI, faced difficulties obtaining information from the party’s central office. Upon learning about the intra-party elections through the media, they requested the nullification of the elections, citing a denial of the opportunity to participate.
Justice Ajaz Anwar inquired about the absence of a demand for re-election, considering the Election Commission’s declaration of the intra-party elections as null and void. The lawyer explained that their request for participation was denied, leading them to approach the Election Commission. The discussion also touched upon jurisdictional matters, with the court acknowledging the significance of jurisdiction and referring to decisions by various courts.
Justice Arshad Ali questioned whether separate cases should be filed in each province, and if intra-party elections occurred in Peshawar, why similar cases could not be filed there. The lawyers reiterated that representatives from all over the country were elected during the intra-party elections. The court clarified that Lahore High Court had deferred to Peshawar High Court’s jurisdiction in this matter.
The court ultimately reserved its decision on the case, marking a crucial development in PTI’s intra-party election saga.