ISLAMABAD: PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Khan on Monday said his party would not boycott the February 8 general elections despite being stripped of its traditional electoral symbol of a cricket bat.
“The PTI will issue a list of supported candidates, with their respective electoral symbols, within three days,” he said, requesting the nation to vote for these candidates in the upcoming polls.
Gohar’s statement comes after a three-member Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s December 22 decision to declare the PTI’s intra-party polls as “unconstitutional” and revoked its “bat” symbol.
As a result, the party’s members will now be contesting the elections as independent candidates with different electoral symbols and the party no longer has the right to reserved seats for women and minorities.
Speaking to journalists here, Barrister Gohar said the SC’s verdict had affected the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan.
“A conspiracy against democracy has succeeded, this is a huge loss for democracy and [this decision] will give birth to a new wave of corruption,” he lamented.
He added that even though the apex court’s decision was final, it would not stop the party.
“We won’t boycott elections and God willing fully participate in them,” Barrister Gohar vowed.
He further stated that the party would definitely file a review appeal against the SC judgment, noting that a five-member apex court bench should have heard the matter as the case concerned Article 17 of the Constitution.
The article states that every citizen “shall have the right to form associations or unions, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan, public order or morality.”
Talking about his interaction with PTI founder Imran Khan, Barrister Gohar said the former premier had one message for all party supporters: “Ghabrana nahi hai [don’t worry], remain steadfast and peaceful. Protect your vote and exercise your right on Feb 8.”
Gohar added that within three days, the PTI would upload a list of party-affiliated candidates and their electoral symbols on all social media platforms.
Regarding the raid at his residence over the weekend, the PTI leader said he was satisfied with the investigation underway. “We have been facing this, but it should stop now and we should proceed towards elections,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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