PML-N dubs PHC ruling on PTI bat symbol ‘pre-poll rigging'

• Scales of justice are being titled for a “ladla”, says Shehbaz Sharif.  
• "We expect justice from the judiciary," former prime minister says.
• Imran Khan has stolen the mandate of his own party, says Maryam.
  

In stern criticism of the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) ruling on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) iconic electoral symbol — bat — the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) termed it “pre-poll rigging”.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) last week stripped the Imran Khan-led party of its bat symbol and declared the PTI’s internal elections void. However, the PHC Tuesday suspended the electoral watchdog’s declaration.

“Keeping in view the urgency, that a political party has been denuded of its symbol, meaning hearby that aspirants from the general public who were willing to vote for the petitioners’ party were divested of their right to vote as per their choice,” Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel ruled.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing an event in Karachi on Thursday, called the PHC’s order “an attack” on the election commission’s authority.

“How can the Peshawar High Court give an order that affects Pakistan? There are candidates, who are in some way, related to the judge. I believe that the judge should have recused himself from the bench based on his relationship,” he said.

The scales of justice, the former prime minister said, were being titled for a “ladla” (blue-eyed boy). “The kind of decisions that are being issued are concerning for us. We expect justice from the judiciary.”

Strongly reacting to the PHC verdict, PML-N senior leader and former interior minister Rana Sanaullah termed the court’s ruling “pre-poll rigging and attack on the ECP".

He called the PHC ruling a “violation of the Election Act 2017”. The PML-N leader said the PHC judge’s cousin was contesting elections on PTI’s ticket, hence the decision.

“The [PHC] judge gave relief to his cousin’s party.”

In her statement, PML-N Senior Vice-President Maryam Nawaz blasted the PHC ruling and termed the single bench verdict tantamount to an attack on the ECP’s constitutional powers.

“Fake and fraudulent intra-party elections [of PTI] have been declared ‘halal’. The ruling is the victory of the selection but not the election.”

Firing a fresh salvo at the incarcerated PTI founder, Maryam, who is also the party's chief organiser, said: “Those who seek a level-playing field are not ready to give the same to anybody within their party.”

She went on to say that Khan had stolen the mandate of his own party.

Reacting to the PHC ruling, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman told journalists in Islamabad that an atmosphere of “judicial martial law” was created in the country.

Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) patron-in-chief Jahangir Khan Tareen, in a statement, said that the PHC verdict restoring the PTI’s election symbol was apparently beyond the jurisdiction of the court and against the people’s aspirations.

Matters related to the election symbols were prerogative of the ECP, he added.