Salman Akram Raja challenges ECP on declaring him as independent candidate in Lahore High Court

ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: Salman Akram Raja, a candidate affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has formally contested the Election Commission's ruling declaring him an independent candidate. The challenge has been filed in the Lahore High Court through legal representative Samira Khosa Advocate, listing the Election Commission and others as respondents.

In the submitted petition, the argument presented is that the PTI has maintained its status as a registered political party with the Election Commission since 1996. Salman Akram Raja, a PTI-backed candidate from NA-128, had his electoral symbol withdrawn due to the party's failure to conduct intra-party elections. Despite this, the party is still considered active. The Election Commission, however, designated him as an independent candidate for the upcoming general elections.

The petitioner urges the court to annul the Election Commission's decision and instructs the inclusion of the PTI candidate on the ballot paper with the party's symbol. Notably, the Lahore High Court Bar had earlier deemed the Supreme Court's decision to strip the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of its bat symbol as unconstitutional, according to Naji TV.

Sabahat Rizvi, Secretary of Lahore High Court Bar, emphasized that all political parties possess an equal right to participate in elections. He criticized the Election Commission for disregarding its constitutional duties, stating that conducting a clean, transparent, and fair election becomes impossible under such circumstances.

On January 13, the Supreme Court had filed an application on behalf of the Election Commission against the Peshawar High Court's decision to restore the bat symbol to the Tehreek-e-Insaf. The Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission's decision, declaring the Peshawar High Court's ruling invalid, leading to PTI's loss of the 'bat' electoral symbol.