Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) decided on Wednesday to withdraw its petition from the apex court, seeking the retention of the “bat” symbol for the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.
Barrister Gohar Khan made the announcement during a media interaction outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad, expressing the party’s confidence in a favorable verdict from the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
He said the PTI had withdrawn its petition related to the symbol matter and anticipated a positive outcome from the ongoing hearing at the PHC.
The Peshawar High Court is currently hearing PTI’s writ petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision, which invalidated the party’s intra-party elections and revoked its distinctive “bat” symbol – a symbol reflective of Imran Khan’s cricketing past.
According to Barrister Gohar Khan, the verdict was likely to be announced at 11 am today.
In the previous month, the ECP had dealt a significant blow to PTI by nullifying its iconic electoral symbol, citing irregularities in the intra-party elections. This decision followed a petition by former PTI member Akbar S Babar, who argued that the elections did not adhere to the established rules.
Despite the setback, PTI secured a temporary stay against the ECP order, leading to the restoration of its “bat” symbol until a final decision on the petition.
The court had also served a notice to the ECP, instructing the body to upload certificates related to PTI’s intra-party elections on its website, scheduling a double-bench hearing for January 9.
However, on December 30, the ECP filed a review petition in the high court, resulting in the court reinstating the ECP’s December 22 order and rescinding the interim relief granted to PTI.
In response, PTI appealed to the Supreme Court against the restoration of the ECP ruling – a plea that the party withdrew today.
