<p>Peshawar: 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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The decision comes shortly after the party withdrew from the Supreme Court its appeal seeking the restoration of its electoral symbol.</p><p>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.</p><p>A two-member PHC bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Arshad Ali termed the ECP's decision "incorrect".</p><p>The PTI had approached the PHC against the ECP order on December 26 and a single-member bench restored the electoral symbol of the party till January 9.</p>.Ex-Pak PM Imran Khan's recent article in UK publication not AI creation: his party clarifies.<p>On December 30, the electoral watchdog filed a review petition in the PHC, arguing that the court had overstepped its jurisdiction. Days later, in a major blow for the PTI, the high court restored the ECP order, stripping the party of its symbol again.</p><p>Subsequently, the PTI moved the Supreme Court against the restoration of the ECP ruling.</p><p>A day earlier, PTI counsel Barrister Ali Zafar had argued before the PHC that the electoral watchdog was “only a record keeper” and did not have the power to “snatch a party’s electoral symbol”.</p><p>After marathon arguments advanced by lawyers representing the PTI and the ECP for almost five hours, the bench had adjourned the hearing till Wednesday.</p><p>Justices Anwar and Ali presided over the hearing, where counsels of those challenging the PTI’s intra-party polls were to present their arguments.</p><p>Speaking to the media outside the PHC after the announcement of the verdict, PTI counsel Zafar said: “Now, no one can stop PTI from winning these elections.”</p><p>Hailing the decision, the PTI Senator said PHC kept its tradition of announcing decisions as per law.</p><p>“Court has ordered to restore PTI’s bat symbol and upload intra-party polls results on its website immediately,” he added.</p><p>The court has annulled the decision to take away PTI’s electoral symbol. “It was a conspiracy against the PTI to deprive it of the bat s</p>
<p>Peshawar: 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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The decision comes shortly after the party withdrew from the Supreme Court its appeal seeking the restoration of its electoral symbol.</p><p>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.</p><p>A two-member PHC bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Arshad Ali termed the ECP's decision "incorrect".</p><p>The PTI had approached the PHC against the ECP order on December 26 and a single-member bench restored the electoral symbol of the party till January 9.</p>.Ex-Pak PM Imran Khan's recent article in UK publication not AI creation: his party clarifies.<p>On December 30, the electoral watchdog filed a review petition in the PHC, arguing that the court had overstepped its jurisdiction. Days later, in a major blow for the PTI, the high court restored the ECP order, stripping the party of its symbol again.</p><p>Subsequently, the PTI moved the Supreme Court against the restoration of the ECP ruling.</p><p>A day earlier, PTI counsel Barrister Ali Zafar had argued before the PHC that the electoral watchdog was “only a record keeper” and did not have the power to “snatch a party’s electoral symbol”.</p><p>After marathon arguments advanced by lawyers representing the PTI and the ECP for almost five hours, the bench had adjourned the hearing till Wednesday.</p><p>Justices Anwar and Ali presided over the hearing, where counsels of those challenging the PTI’s intra-party polls were to present their arguments.</p><p>Speaking to the media outside the PHC after the announcement of the verdict, PTI counsel Zafar said: “Now, no one can stop PTI from winning these elections.”</p><p>Hailing the decision, the PTI Senator said PHC kept its tradition of announcing decisions as per law.</p><p>“Court has ordered to restore PTI’s bat symbol and upload intra-party polls results on its website immediately,” he added.</p><p>The court has annulled the decision to take away PTI’s electoral symbol. “It was a conspiracy against the PTI to deprive it of the bat s</p>