ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) now-former chairman Gohar Ali Khan on Saturday declared that the party would approach the Peshawar High Court (PHC) or Supreme Court against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to deprive the party of its traditional electoral symbol of bat.

Speaking at a presser, he said that PTI’s petition regaining the ‘bat’ electoral symbol would be filed on Tuesday morning, adding that consultation in this regard had almost been completed.

Without naming the ECP, Gohar said that all its efforts were aimed at depriving his party of the reserved seats.

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The PTI leader saw a conspiracy behind the ECP’s recent order, saying stripping the party of its electoral symbol of bat was in no way justified.

Responding to a question, he said that “ECP’s order is not sustainable as it is contradictory.” He was confident that PTI would get relief when they challenged the order in the court.

“PTI’s electoral symbol will be restored,” he said, adding his party was waiting for the attested copy of the ECP.

To another query, he said that the PTI could challenge the ECP’s order in the apex court under Article 184 of the Constitution. “Imran Khan was, is and will be the chairman of the PTI,” he said, adding that he was fulfilling the responsibilities assigned to him by Khan. Gohar further said that he would continue to deliver the responsibilities until Khan comes out of jail.

Talking about ‘level playing field’, he said that PTI candidates were not being allowed to submit their nomination papers for the upcoming general elections in the country, slated to be held on February 8.

About Khan’s jail trial, he termed the process “illegal and in violation of the IHC’s order”.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023