Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa on Friday said that the members of every political party have the right to cast their vote.

“If this right is taken away, it would be considered a dictatorship on a national level and would be a violation of rights,” he said during the hearing on the Election Commission of Pakistan’s petition against the PHC verdict restoring the PTI’s electoral symbol.

The Peshawar High Court earlier restored the symbol to PTI after the party appealed the ECP’s decision.

The ECP had ruled that the party had not organised elections as per its own Constitution and had taken away its electoral symbol.

A three-member bench of the top court conducted hearing on the ECP’s appeal against a decision restoring the bat symbol to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

The bench is led by CJP Isa and includes Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali.

PTI lawyer Hamid Khan and ECP lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan appeared before the court, while PTI lawyer Ali Zafar attended the hearing via video link from the top court’s Lahore registry.

During the hearing, CJP Isa remarked that the ECP was a constitutional body and no one could interfere in its domain.

“Supreme Court will not interfere in the domain of the Election Commission of Pakistan. However, if ECP commits any unconstitutional act then the court can look into it,” he said.

The PTI counsel requested the court to adjourn the hearing till Monday to prepare for the case, on which CJP Isa said the PHC decision has to be suspended for three days if the case is adjourned till Monday.

The chief justice of Pakistan after hearing arguments of both parties adjourned the hearing till 10am tomorrow (Saturday).

PTI lawyer Hamid will begin his arguments upon the resumption of hearing on Saturday morning.