ECP withdraws banned TLP's election symbol

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday announced its reserved verdict in the case relating to the intra-party elections of the TLP, declaring the party ineligible to retain its election symbol after ruling that it had failed to fulfill the legal requirements under the Elections Act, 2017.

In its seven-page written judgment, the ECP withdrew TLP's election symbol, the crane, and rejected the documents the party submitted regarding its intra-party elections.

According to the decision, the TLP—Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan—failed to comply with the requirements of Section 209 of the Elections Act, 2017, which governs the conduct of intra-party polls.

The commission held that the party's intra-party elections were not conducted in accordance with its constitution, rendering the exercise legally defective. Invoking Section 215(5) of the Elections Act, 2017, the ECP ordered the withdrawal of the party's election symbol.

The commission also directed the relevant authorities to implement the decision.

The judgment stated that allotting an election symbol is conditional upon fulfilling all legal requirements, and since the TLP failed to meet the statutory conditions, it was no longer entitled to retain its election symbol.

The federal government on October 25, 2025 outlawed the TLP, a politico-religious party, declaring it a proscribed organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

This development followed the federal cabinet's unanimous approval of a summary to ban the party following violent clashes between TLP supporters and law enforcement personnel, mainly in Punjab earlier this month.

The party claimed its march toward Islamabad was peaceful and intended to culminate in a sit-in outside the US Embassy in Islamabad to demonstrate solidarity with Gaza.