ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has deprived the embattled PTI of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan of its election symbol of ‘Bat’ saying it did not hold the recent intra-party election in accordance with its constitution.
The decision was announced by the five-member commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikendar Sultan Raja on Friday evening. A few days ago, the PTI held its intra-party election and announced that Gohar Ali Khan had been elected as chairman in place of Imran Khan.
However, former PTI leader Akbar S. Babar moved the ECP and contended that the intra-party election was held in violation of rules. The ECP announced its verdict on the petition today. In the wake of the ECP decision, Gohar Ali Khan ceases to be the chairman of the PTI.
Meanwhile, Gohar told media that his party would not boycott the elections and would challenge the ECP’s decision in the Islamabad High Court. He said the ECP had decided to snatch the party’s election symbol at all costs.
The development comes hours after the PTI met with the commission after the Supreme Court ordered the ECP to address the party’s concerns regarding lack of a level-playing field in the run up to the polls.
On Tuesday, a five-member ECP bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, had reserved judgement on the matter linked to the allocation of the bat as the PTI’s electoral symbol.
Setting a new precedence, the ECP had taken notice of the PTI’s intra-party in which Barrister Gohar Ali was easily elected as the party’s new chairman, after being nominated by party chief Imran Khan.
The polls were held on December 3, days after the ECP declared as null and void the intra-party polls held in June 2022, giving the PTI 20 days to hold fresh elections or be ready to become ineligible for the poll symbol.
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