The Supreme Court has formed a three-member to hear the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s plea seeking the restoration of the bat symbol ahead of the general elections scheduled to take place on February 8.

A three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa would hear the case on Wednesday (tomorrow). Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali are the other two members of the bench.

Earlier, the former ruling party had approached the apex court against the Peshawar High Court’s decision to restore the Election Commission of Pakistan’s December 22 order which had deemed the PTI’s intra-party polls “unconstitutional” and revoked the party’s ‘bat’ electoral symbol.

But it was not fixed for hearing. On Monday, the SC fixed the PTI’s plea for the restoration of its ‘bat’ electoral symbol for hearing on January 10.

PTI’s Barrister Gohar Khan while challenging the decision in the court stated that the ECP’s petition was inadmissible. He had urged the SC to nullify the PHC order.

The petitioner had stated that the PTI was being discriminated against by the ECP and alleged that the electoral symbol was “snatched” without making any decision. He added that the high court did not view the facts in its decision.

Imran Khan, wife Bushra Bibi indicted in Toshakhana case

The Accountability Court in Islamabad indicted on Tuesday former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana reference.

They were indicted during a hearing of the case presided over by accountability judge Muhammad Bashir at the Adiala Jail. He read out loud the charges framed against them.

But the accused persons denied the charges.

The court adjourned the hearing till Jan 11 and directed the National Accountability Bureau to produce the witnesses in the case at the next proceedings.

Moreover, the court judge also rejected Khan’s post-arrest bails in both the Toshakhana and £190 million references.

The case alleged that Khan and Bibi obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd for legalising Rs50 billion. The amount was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government.

According to the charge sheet, Khan and Bibi received as many as 108 gifts from different heads of state while in power. It added that they kept 58 valuable gifts – out of the 108.

Bibi allegedly kept 58 gifts worth around Rs140 million. It added that the PTI founder kept the jewellery set received from the Saudi crown prince after paying a very small amount to the national exchequer.

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Moreover, the national graft buster would present around 20 witnesses against the two accused. Soheib Abbasi, the assessor of the gift, would appear as a witness. The list of witnesses also includes an approver.

On Monday, the court froze the assets of Malik Riaz and others in the £190 million case.

PHC heard PTI’s plea for six hours

The Peshawar High Court heard on Tuesday the PTI’s plea against the December 22 decision of the ECP for six hours where the former ruling party and the polls overseer completed their arguments.

A two member bench of the PHC comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Arshad Ali herd the case.

At a moment in the case, PTI’s Barrister Ali Zafar contended that the ECP was just a “record keeper” and did not have the power to strip a political party of its electoral symbol.

The court while giving time to other respondents adjourned the hearing till Wednesday (tomorrow).