PTI ko chahiye sirf ‘ballay’ ka nishan

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to promptly release a detailed written order regarding the issuance of the party’s election symbol.

Highlighting the importance of justice and fairness, Senator Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, the party’s counsel, submitted an application on Wednesday to the Commission, emphasizing the necessity of a comprehensive decision in the interest of transparency.

Senator Zafar underscored that the Election Commission’s earlier notice to the PTI, rejecting the allocation of the cricket bat symbol due to purported intra-party election discrepancies, was a misstep. He contended that the PTI had indeed conducted intra-party elections on June 9, 2022, in accordance with its constitution.

According to Senator Zafar, the Election Commission’s subsequent decision on August 30, 2023, had validated the PTI’s stance on the legitimacy of the intra-party elections and had signaled the allocation of the bat symbol.

However, despite the Commission’s initial commitment to issue a detailed decision following the verbal announcement, the order had not been provided even after 41 days.

“PTI is the largest political party in the country, which is contesting the upcoming elections. Not issuing a detailed decision even after 41 days is a clear violation of fundamental rights, including articles 4, 9, 10A, 15, 16, 17 and 26 of the Constitution,” he said.

Ali Zafar insisted that according to the Constitution, ECP was bound to hold free, fair, impartial, and transparent elections, while avoiding detailed decisions was a deviation from this constitutional mandate.

He further added that under the Constitution of Pakistan, the ECP was bound to organize and conduct the election in a manner that was honest, just, fair, and in accordance with the law, but the non-issuance of the detailed written order was contrary to this.

“The entire world is watching the proceedings of the ECP and the delay in the decision is unnecessarily creating contrary false rumors as if the decision orally announced on Aug 30, 2023, is going to be varied,” he said.