ISLAMABAD: In a major relief for Imran Khan’s party ahead of the general elections, a high court in Pakistan on Wednesday declared as unconstitutional the election commission’s decision revoking the jailed former premier’s party’s cricket ‘bat’ electoral symbol and rejecting its organisational polls.
The Peshawar High Court directed the electoral body to return the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party its iconic cricket ‘bat’ electoral symbol back and upload the party’s certificate of internal elections on its website, Dawn newspaper reported.
The decision comes shortly after the party withdrew from the apex court its appeal seeking the restoration of its electoral symbol. On December 22, the Election Commission of Pakistan decided against letting PTI retain its electoral symbol for the February 8 election, saying that it had failed to hold intra-party polls under its current Constitution and election laws.