Bat-less PTI locked out of parliamentary politics

The symbolic setback of being stripped of ‘bat’ not only virtually knocks the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) out of the electoral ring but also potentially slams the doors of parliamentary politics shut on the party in the post-elections landscape.
With the party deprived of its election symbol, several independent candidates, previously associated with the PTI but denied party tickets, are now running their campaigns as candidates endorsed by Imran Khan.

However, under Rule 94 of the Election Rules 2017, independent candidates can only join a political party issued an election symbol by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

For PTI, this means their independent candidates cannot rejoin the party even in the event of success.

Former provincial minister and independent candidate Taimur Saleem Jhagra admitted the constitutional constraints but hinted at exploring alternative avenues. "We cannot go against what the constitution says and what is in the rules," he said.
Nevertheless, the PTI is exploring options, including the possibility of approaching courts. “The party is also focusing on its intra-party elections,” he added.

On the other hand, PTI supporters are forcing independent candidates endorsed by PTI to take oath on the Holy Quran to remain loyal to Imran Khan and the party. This further leaves the former ruling party in a political conundrum.

‘Devil is in the details’

Section 94 of the Election Rules 2017 dictates that an independent candidate must announce their affiliation with a political party within three days.

However, the catch lies in the definition of a political party, as per the same rule, which requires the party to be allocated an election symbol by the ECP.

“For the purpose of this rule, the expression “political party” means a political party to which a symbol has been allocated by the Commission,” reads Section 94 of the Election Rules 2017.

Since PTI's symbol has been stripped away, independent candidates cannot reunite with the party.

An ECP senior official confirmed that, according to election rules, an independent candidate can only join the political party issued an election symbol by the commission.

The Express Tribune also reached out to an ECP spokesperson for further comments. However, attempts to seek an answer proved futile.

The massive setback came earlier this month when the Supreme Court overturned the Peshawar High Court's decision to reinstate the bat as PTI's symbol for the general elections.

The legal knockout dealt a severe blow to PTI's electoral aspirations, prompting accusations from the party that the decision aims to sideline it from the impending ballot.

The verdict left PTI's ticket holders with the unusual task of contesting as independent candidates. The party's attempt to align with the PTI-Nazriati splinter group, with the batsman symbol, also hit a snag as agreements unravelled.

The ECP, on technical grounds, had omitted PTI's bat symbol on December 22, citing the party's failure to conduct intra-party elections as mandated by law.

Ahead of the polls, party leaders and social media activists are working diligently to pinpoint these candidates, ensuring clarity for party voters.

Besides, the party has established a dedicated "PTI’s Elections 2024 portal for candidates," featuring the names and symbols of its endorsed candidates.

However, numerous voters attempting to access Insaf.pk/elections2024 reported encountering issues with the non-functional link.