The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Supreme Court on Monday put a hold on a lower court’s June 23 order that had reinstated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s registration, creating uncertainty about its electoral prospects.
The apex court stayed the High Court’s decision, which had allowed PTI candidates to contest the forthcoming legislative assembly elections using their well-known “bat” electoral symbol.
Notably, the AJK Election Commission challenged the High Court ruling by filing an appeal in the Supreme Court, arguing that the court had overstepped its authority by granting relief beyond the scope of the original petition.
Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan, presiding over the Supreme Court, constituted a full bench to examine the case further and scheduled the next hearing for July 2.
Previously, a larger bench of the AJK High Court, led by Chief Justice Shahid Bahar, had reversed the Election Commission’s cancellation of PTI’s regional registration. This cancellation was based on alleged violations of financial regulations and non-compliance with internal election rules.
This High Court decision came in response to a petition filed by senior PTI leader and former AJK Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi.
While PTI leaders welcomed the High Court’s ruling, the Supreme Court’s intervention has temporarily suspended the party’s legal status in the region.
In a significant development, if the Supreme Court’s full bench sides with the Election Commission, PTI will lose its official party status in AJK. Consequently, its candidates would be compelled to contest the July 2 elections as independents, without the advantage of their unified “bat” symbol.
