A five-member bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan has allowed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to keep ‘bat’ as its electoral system in the intra-party election case but only after meeting a condition set by the electoral body.

The bench, led by ECP member Nisar Durrani, had reserved its decision in the case on September 13 which it announced on Thursday.

The ECP ordered the PTI to conduct intra-party elections within 20 days and submit a report within seven days. If the party fails to comply with the order, it will not be able to use the bat as its electoral symbol in the elections, the ECP bench ruled.

The ECP’s rules make it compulsory for every registered political party to hold intra-party elections every five years.

Following the elections, political parties are required to submit a certificate confirming that the elections have taken place.

However, the PTI had allegedly failed to hold the elections and a case was filed against the party in 2022.

PTI’s lawyer Barrister Gohar said that the ECP had done justice in its verdict and the verdict had been delayed due to some ‘particular’ reasons by the ECP.

He added that the the bat symbol would remain with the PTI and the decision would be challenged on every available forum.

In another hearing, the ECP adjourned the hearing against Imran Khan in the contempt of ECP case till November 30.

PTI’s lawyer Shoaib Shaheen told the ECP about an Islamabad High Court decision that involved production orders for Imran Khan.

Although the bench remarked that it would not be the first jail trial, it said that the ECP would issue an appropriate order.

The hearing was then adjourned till November 30, with the bench saying that the matter would be wrapped up at the next hearing.