Peshawar (Web Desk): The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday reserved verdict on a review petition filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against restoration of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) electoral symbol ‘bat’ and intra-party polls.
A single-member bench comprising Justice Ejaz Khan conducted a hearing on the matter.
The court reserved its verdict after hearing arguments from both the PTI and ECP counsels.
ECP's lawyer Sikander Bashir Mohmand and PTI's legal team comprising Advocates Shah Faisal Uthmankhel and Qazi Anwar appeared in the courtroom.
On Tuesday, the ECP counsel presented his arguments, while the PTI lawyers remained absent. Subsequently, the court issued a notice to the PTI for the completion of arguments and adjourned the hearing till today.
At the outset of the hearing today, Advocate Qazi Anwar said that he, along with Barrister Gohar Khan, will represent the PTI in this case.
He said that the political parties, in the court, said that they stand with the ECP.
At this, Justice Khan said "we have learned from you that these things are baseless in the eyes of law as whatever happens outside the court has nothing to do with the hearing".
"Can the ECP approach the court against the high court's ruling?" questioned PTI's lawyer calling the electoral body’s petition incorrect.
Advocate Qazi Anwar said that the PHC announced its verdict on December 26, however, it has not yet been implemented.
"ECP has not yet issued the PTI intra-party election certificate on the website," the lawyer said.
"Did your party file any contempt case in this matter?" asked Justice Khan.
On this, the PTI's counsel said that sidelining a party was not good for the ECP or the democracy.
Anwar said that the PTI wants the ECP to conduct free and fair elections.
The court then reserved the verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.
The ECP had filed a review petition at the PHC against its December 26 decision which had suspended the ECP's order and restored the party's 'bat' symbol till a final decision on the matter.
Earlier, the ECP had declared PTI's intra-party polls "illegal" and stripped it of using the 'bat' symbol.
The PTI had moved the PHC against the ECP decision requesting the court to restore its party symbol ahead of the general elections scheduled to be held on February 8.
In its petition, the ECP then requested the court to review the PTI's intra-party elections and its decision related to the election symbol.
However, the PTI lawyers did not appear before the court and later requested to hear them before deciding the plea.
After this, the court adjourned the hearing till Wednesday (today).
On December 26, the PHC had suspended the ECP’s verdict, declaring the PTI’s intra-party polls as unconstitutional and revocation of the party’s ‘bat’ election symbol.
The PTI had filed the petition naming the ECP and those who challenged the elections as respondents. It had requested the court for an urgent hearing of the matter.
The petition stated that the ECP did not have the authority to decide the procedure for intra-party elections. The complainant who challenged the intra-party polls was not a party member, it added.
On Decembre 23, the electoral watchdog had declared PTI intra-party polls as “unconstitutional” and revoked its claim on its electoral symbol — “bat”.
