Election Symbols
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue a formal ruling on the allocation of election symbols.
The PTI emphasized the ECP’s constitutional responsibility to ensure fair and transparent elections in the country.
PTI Senator Barrister Syed Ali Zafar submitted an application to the Election Commission, requesting the issuance of a written decision in the pursuit of justice and equity.
The party has urged the Election Commission to promptly provide a detailed verdict, aligning with its prior announcement regarding the allocation of election symbols.
According to Senator Zafar, the Election Commission had issued a notice to the PTI due to its refusal to grant the “bat” symbol based on intra-party elections. He argued that the commission’s notice, grounded in inter-party elections, constituted a significant error. The PTI had conducted intra-party elections on June 9, 2022, in accordance with its constitution.
Zafar maintained that the Election Commission had no grounds for withholding the PTI’s symbol after the conduct of intra-party elections, as the electoral body had never raised objections to these elections. Any defects in the submitted documentation had been addressed.
He pointed out that in its decision dated August 30, 2023, the Election Commission had acknowledged the PTI’s conduct of intra-party elections and had announced its intent to allocate the election symbol “bat.” Following this August 30 decision by the Election Commission, the matter was considered finalized.
Zafar recalled that during the verbal announcement of the August 30 decision, the Election Commission had promised to provide a detailed ruling on the matter, which received extensive coverage in various media outlets. However, he noted that 41 days had passed since the August 30 decision, and a comprehensive ruling had not yet been furnished.
“PTI is the largest political party in the country, contesting the upcoming elections. Failing to provide a detailed decision even after 41 days constitutes a clear violation of fundamental rights, including articles 4, 9, 10A, 15, 16, 17, and 26 of the Constitution,” he emphasized.
Ali Zafar insisted that according to the Constitution, the Election Commission was obligated to conduct elections that are free, fair, impartial, and transparent. The omission of detailed rulings, he argued, deviated from this constitutional mandate.
