The Supreme Court on Wednesday morning disposed of the appeal of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regarding its bat election symbol as being withdrawn. The apex court had formed a three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, to address the issue. The bench, which included Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musrat Hilali, was scheduled to hear the PTI’s appeal today. The appeal was disposed of after the PTI withdrew it from the Supreme Court. On behalf of the party, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Hamid Khan appeared before the court. Barrister Gohar said the central appeal in this case is fixed before the Peshawar High Court, requesting to withdraw the petition due to pendency of cases. The PTI had filed an appeal with the apex court on January 4, challenging the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) decision to nullify intra-party elections and revoke the election symbols. Initially, the petition had not been slated for a hearing, but the Supreme Court, on January 9, directed that PTI’s petition for the restoration of the bat symbol be scheduled for January 10. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, representing PTI, argued that the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) application was not admissible. He contended that the party was being unfairly treated compared to other political parties, emphasizing that the electoral watchdog and the PHC had not properly considered the evidence before revoking the bat symbol. In the application, Barrister Khan asserted that the PHC misinterpreted the law, leading to an unjust decision. He argued that the Commission did not need to issue a notice in this matter and that the withdrawal of the bat symbol without proper consideration of the facts was discriminatory. The petitioner highlighted the interim relief granted by the Peshawar High Court on December 26, 2023, emphasizing the concerns of irreparable damage if the bat symbol was not reinstated.
Apex Court disposes of PTI’s plea for bat sign as withdrawn
