Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has moved the Supreme Court to challenge a series of decisions related to its electoral matters, including the change of an Election Tribunal and the denial of its electoral symbol, the "bat." In a petition filed by PTI leader Ali Bukhari, the party has contested the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to replace the election tribunal previously headed by Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri. he petition argues that the ECP acted improperly by not consulting the Chief Justice before making the change, a move that was made after candidates from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) raised objections to the tribunal. PTI’s petition requests the Supreme Court to annul the ECP’s June 10 decision to alter the tribunal and restore the original panel. In addition, PTI has sought the annulment of an Islamabad High Court ruling issued on September 19, which upheld the change.

The party maintains that the Election Commission's decision and the High Court's verdict were flawed and calls for the reinstatement of the initial tribunal that was overseeing their electoral disputes. Meanwhile, PTI has also filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court following the dismissal of its review petition related to the electoral symbol "bat." PTI has been embroiled in a prolonged legal battle over the use of its electoral emblem, and in the latest petition, it has asked the Court to overturn the January 13 and October 21 rulings, which had denied the party the use of the bat symbol in upcoming elections. The 32-page petition, filed by PTI’s lawyer Ajmal Ghaffar, argues that the decisions made by the Election Commission and the Islamabad High Court were unjust, violating fundamental rights and electoral laws.

PTI further contends that the principles of justice and fairness require reconsideration of these rulings, as they are based on misinterpretations of relevant statutes. The petition also references the Supreme Court’s August 22, 2024, ruling in the Mubarak Ahmed Sani case, where the Court had revised a previous decision, setting a precedent for revisiting past rulings. PTI argues that the decision to deny the "bat" symbol was made without regard for the law and, therefore, should be treated as an error open to reconsideration. As the case progresses, the legal and political implications of PTI's challenges to both the tribunal change and the electoral symbol issue could have significant ramifications for upcoming elections and the broader political landscape.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan