PTI’s delicate moment

The judicial ruling to once again take away ‘cricket bat’ election symbol from PTI is contentious. It has put the party in a delicate moment. The fact that the Peshawar High Court itself had earlier scrapped the ECP decision to deny ‘bat’, and then reversed the same in a review petition thickens the plot. This has thrown the impartiality of upcoming general elections under question, and the manner in which the most popular political party is being pushed to the wall is worrisome and unacceptable.

Though the PTI’s recourse would be to knock at the doors of the Supreme Court, there is little to believe that the party’s plea will be entertained. The aura of marginalising it is quite evident and this does not bode well for democracy and rule of law. Perhaps, this is why the PTI is mulling even under duress to accept any other symbol for the party, and it is appreciated that it is not contemplating to walk out of polls under protest. Ten cents for their resilience.

PTI’s new acting Chairman Gohar Ali’s and other stalwarts’ fear that the party may not be allowed to participate in polls as a single entity and under one symbol are not unfounded. If so, then PTI candidates may be forced to contest in individual capacity and this will open floodgates of floor crossing tendency in the new parliament. At the same time it will put the party under pressure and in a state of disarray. PTI candidates are already under undue vigilance by the electoral watchdog, making the ballot a one-sided affair and incredible. The constitutional body must act judiciously in providing a level playing field to all.

International rights organisations and foreign observers are casting their doubts on the credibility of the electoral process, and in such a situation the new measures to uproot the PTI will surely invoke criticism. Holding free and transparent elections is a must to merit a favourable response from international donors, and certainly in national interest. Let PTI have its due space as a political party.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2024.

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