ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Supreme Court of Pakistan judge Justice Mussarat Hilali has raised concerns over the “biased and unfair” manner in which the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is treating Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
“Election Commission is biased and unfair. It is targeting only one political party. Why it is not bringing other parties under the scrutiny,” Justice Mussarat Hilali remarked while talking to the ECP’s Officials on Saturday.
Justice Mussarat Hilali was part of the three-member bench of the Apex Court along with the Chief Justice Qazi Faez and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar which on Saturday night endorsed the Election Commission’s controversial decision prohibiting the PTI from retaining its symbol ‘bat’.
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Meanwhile, PTI withdrew its petition from the Supreme Court earlier filed seeking contempt proceedings against authorities including the ECP for violating its order about providing a level playing field to the party ahead of February 8 general elections.
Senior lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa told the Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa that we approached you to ensure level playing field; however, you announced a verdict at 11:30 pm on January 13 which was a deep disappointment to us, and an entire political party was ripped apart.
Latif Khosa added that therefore, now expecting that you would ensure level playing field for PTI seems to be useless.
On Saturday, the Supreme Court dealt a massive blow to PTI when it set aside the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order, denying PTI the right to contest the upcoming elections as a political party and with its electoral symbol ‘bat’
Now all PTI’s ticket holders would have to contest the elections as Independent Candidates.
