LHC upholds Election Commission's authority to withdraw election symbols
LAHORE, Feb 03: the Lahore High Court has affirmed the Election Commission's right to withdraw election symbols from political parties. Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan, in a written decision, dismissed a petition challenging the authority to withdraw election symbols, declaring Section 215 of the Election Act, 2017, as consistent with the Constitution.
The 18-page judgment highlighted that Section 215 aligns with various constitutional articles, including Article 17, 9, and 14, and was incorporated in the Election Act 2017 to empower the Election Commission. The court deemed the application inadmissible.
The Lahore High Court emphasized that political parties must adhere to the Constitution and the Election Act. The legal provisions governing intra-party elections are specified in Section 209 and 210 of the Election Act, 2017. The petitioner, citing the constitutionality concern, sought the repeal of Section 215 of the Election Act, 2017.
It's noteworthy that the application challenging the Election Commission's authority to withdraw election symbols from political parties was filed in the Lahore High Court by citizen Mian Shabbir Ismail.
