ISLAMABAD: On Monday, Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf (PTI) stepped back from the petition seeking a level playing field in the general elections 2024 and has withdrawn its petition from the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan.
The case was presented to a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Mussarat Hilali. Sardar Latif Khosa representated PTI as counsel.
As the hearing began, CJP Qazi Faez Isa asked the counsel whether PTI wanted to pursue the case or not. Sardar Latif Khosa announced that PTI would move the ‘people’s court’ for the survival of democracy.
The PTI counsel added that he has received the instructions to withdraw the application. While continuing his statement, Latif Khosa stated that they reached SC for fair & transparent elections and a level playing field. He said that PTI candidates were allotted symbols like a bowl, eggplant, glass etc.
PTI senior leaders like Yasmeen Rashid, Zain Qureshi, and Umair Niazi received symbols of laptop, shoe and door, respectively. Other members also got separate electoral symbols after ECP stripped PTI of their iconic bat symbol.
Latif Khosa further said that they have been humiliated. According to PTI counsel, the party has been pushed back from Parliamentary politics.
CJP Faez Isa responded that PTI has the choice to either accept the order of court or not. Faez Isa added that judges cannot be blamed for the verdict of court.
The top judge remarked that PTI has failed to submit any evidence of holding an intra-party election despite the court continuously asking PTI to provide proof. CJP commented that the apex court has issued the decision in a level playing field case and the court cannot act as government.