PHC orders swift resolution in PTI intra-party polls case

In a decisive move, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to promptly decide on the matter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) intra-party elections and the allocation of the election symbol by tomorrow, December 22.

The two-member bench, comprising Justice Attique Shah and Justice Shakeel Ahmed, announced the verdict after considering a set of PTI petitions. The court emphasized that the ECP should resolve the dispute in accordance with the law.

The PHC acknowledged that the ECP had already conducted a detailed hearing on the PTI’s intra-party elections, with the latter having reserved its verdict. PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Khan informed the court that the party chose not to approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC) due to concerns about potential arrests of their leaders.

Expressing concern, Khan stated that if the election symbol ‘bat’ was not allocated by December 22, PTI candidates would be considered independent. He accused the ECP of employing delaying tactics and emphasized that the party’s intra-party elections should be duly recognized.

Gohar Khan asserted that those challenging the intra-party polls were no longer part of PTI and submitted a comprehensive list of registered PTI members in court. On the other hand, ECP counsel Mohsin Kamran assured the court that the commission would publish the results of the controversial intra-party elections on its website once it was satisfied with the process.

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In light of these arguments, the PHC issued a directive, urging the ECP to expedite the decision on PTI’s intra-party elections and the allocation of the election symbol by tomorrow. The PTI had initially approached the court, requesting the ECP to publish the results of its intra-party polls on the commission’s website—an essential step for the party to participate in the upcoming general elections.

The political landscape awaits the ECP’s swift resolution, with the PTI hoping for a fair decision that upholds the democratic principles of the intra-party electoral process.