Legal blow for PTI: LHC rejects plea over symbol withdrawal

LAHORE: In a setback for PTI, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday dismissed the party’s plea challenging the withdrawal of its election symbol, the bat.

Justice Jawad Hasan, delivering the reserved verdict, deemed the application ‘inadmissible.’

The legal tussle began when PTI’s local leader, Umar Aftab Dhillon, approached the LHC against the decision to withdraw the PTI bat symbol.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) issued its reserved verdict on the PTI’s intra-party elections, accepting the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) plea.

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The PHC withdrew its previous stay order on the ECP’s verdict, which had annulled PTI’s intra-party poll and consequently revoked the bat symbol.

The high court had initially suspended the election commission’s decision based on PTI’s plea. In response, the ECP argued that the court had issued the stay without hearing its side.

With the PHC retracting its stay order, the ECP’s decision from December 22 against PTI has been reinstated.

PTI’s NEXT STEP

With rejection of pleas for the restoration of the bat symbol from both the Lahore High Court and Peshawar High Court PTI will move the Supreme Court.

On the other hand, PTI has maintained a successful social media strategy since candidates began submitting their nomination papers.

Facing initial resistance since the commencement of the nomination papers’ submission process, on December 20, the PTI candidates effectively utilised social media platforms.

Supporters shared instances of harassment against party candidates, prompting the party’s new chairman, Barrister Gohar Khan, to pursue legal action.