After carefully deliberating for three days, the Election Commission, as of Friday, has decided to contest the reinstatement of the PTI’s election symbol by the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
Insiders with knowledge of the matter revealed that the ECP initially considered a direct appeal to the Supreme Court. However, the commission ultimately opted to file a review petition with the PHC, and the next hearing is scheduled for January 9. The ECP has received a notice to appear before the bench on the specified date.
Up until now, the Election Commission has not fully adhered to the specific directives from the PHC, which include publishing the PTI’s intra-party elections certificate on the ECP’s official website and restoring the party’s election symbol.
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Furthermore, the scrutiny of nomination papers for candidates vying for reserved seats for women and minorities by most returning officers (ROs) is still pending.
In a recent development, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has adjusted the schedule for candidates on reserved seats, extending the deadline for scrutinizing their nomination papers from December 30 to January 13. This extension is subject to the outcome of a petition currently pending before the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
January 13 also serves as the final date for the allocation of election symbols to political parties. Depriving a party of its election symbol has significant consequences, including the potential loss of reserved seats for women and minorities in the national and provincial assemblies.
The revised timetable includes crucial dates: January 16 for the submission of appeals against decisions made by returning officers, January 19 as the deadline for the appellate tribunal’s decisions, January 20 for the publication of the revised list of candidates, January 22 for the withdrawal of candidature, and January 23 for the publication of the list of contesting candidates.
Additionally, the ECP has made notable changes to its judicial appointments. Justice Faisal Zaman Khan of the Lahore High Court (LHC) has been replaced by Justice Farooq Haider as the appellate tribunal responsible for hearing appeals in reserved-seat cases in Punjab.
