ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) overturned the decision of Pakistan’s election regulatory authority to revoke the symbol of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, declaring it unconstitutional and enabling the PTI to regain it.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took away the “cricket bat” as PTI’s election symbol in an order issued on December 22 after declaring its intraparty polls null and void for violating its regulations.
Khan’s party moved the PHC against the decision which led to the restoration of its election symbol ahead of the Feb. 8 national polls. Later, the court temporarily upheld the ECP order in a review petition, though it continued the case proceedings and ultimately issued its verdict in favor of the party.
“The Peshawar High Court has announced that the Election Commission of Pakistan took the ‘bat’ symbol from PTI forcefully and it was snatched away by issuing an illegal order,” Barrister Ali Zafar told the media after the verdict was announced. “That decision has been declared null and void, and the ECP has been asked to give the ‘bat’ symbol back to the PTI immediately.”
“No one can stop the PTI from winning the elections after this,” he added.
Election symbols are crucial in Pakistan where, according to World Bank data, the adult literacy rate is just 58 percent.
The cricket bat is reflective of ex-PM Khan’s past as a successful cricketer, who led Pakistan to their only 50-over World Cup win in 1992, propelling him to an unrivaled position among the country’s cricket greats.
Political analysts previously said without the restoration of their election symbol, the PTI leaders would have to contest the upcoming elections as independent candidates.
“The election commission cannot snatch a party’s election symbol even if it does not hold intraparty polls,” Zafar told the PHC a day earlier. “The ECP’s verdict [against the party] should be nullified since it has been made with malafide intention.”
The PTI has frequently complained in recent months it is not getting a level playing field ahead of the next general elections.
Many of its top leaders are facing a number of legal cases against them and are currently incarcerated in high-security prisons in different Pakistani cities.
Pakistani court restores ex-PM Khan’s party symbol ahead of national polls, rules revocation unconstitutional
https://arab.news/6mq77
Pakistani court restores ex-PM Khan’s party symbol ahead of national polls, rules revocation unconstitutional
- The country’s election body took away ‘cricket bat’ as PTI’s symbol while declaring its intraparty polls null and void
- PTI leader Barrister Ali Zafar says no one can stop his party from winning the elections after the high court decision
Pakistan forecasts favorable weather for Basant as kite festival returns under safety watch
- The government in Pakistan’s Punjab has allowed the three-day spring cultural festival on Feb. 6-8 ending an 18-year ban on kite flying
- Met Office says mainly dry weather is expected in Lahore during the festival, with light westerly winds blowing at 10–15kilometer per hour
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday forecast favorable weather conditions on Feb. 6-8 when the Basant kite-flying festival is scheduled to take place in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore.
The government in Pakistan’s Punjab province has allowed three-day Basant celebration, a traditional spring cultural festival marked by kite flying, from Feb. 6 to Feb. 8 under the Punjab Kite Flying Act 2025, ending an 18-year ban on kite flying due to deadly accidents.
Preparations have been underway in full swing in Lahore, the cultural hub of Pakistan, to mark the festival, with authorities enforcing strict limits on kite materials and imagery ahead of the three-day festival.
The PMD on Tuesday shared a weather outlook for Basant and said mainly dry weather with clear skies was expected in Lahore on Feb. 6-7, whereas dry weather with few cloudy conditions is likely to prevail in the city on Feb. 8.
“Light Westerly/ Northwesterly winds are likely to blow (10 – 15 km/hr), suitable for safe kite flying,” the PMD said in a statement.
The festival, banned after dozens of people were killed or injured by metallic or chemically coated strings, is returning to Lahore under an extensive safety plan.
Authorities have distributed 1 million safety rods among motorcyclists through 100 designated safety points across Lahore, with spending on the initiative crossing Rs110 million ($392,000), according to local media reports.
To enforce regulations and manage traffic flow, around 100 road safety camps have been set up within these zones, staffed by teams from the district administration, traffic police and rescue services. In addition, the Punjab government has launched a free shuttle service to reduce traffic congestion and promote safer travel via 695 buses deployed across Lahore.
“PMD advises kite flyers to exercise caution while flying kites, especially near electric lines and open roads,” the PMD statement read.
