Imran Khan’s Party Gets ‘Bat’ As Pakistan Poll Symbol In Major Relief

(Bloomberg) -- A Pakistani court allowed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party to participate in next month’s national elections under the symbol of a cricket bat, a major relief for the embattled former cricketer-turned-politician trying to return his political party to power.

A two-judge panel of the Peshawar High Court ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to allot election symbol to Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party, Khan’s lawyer, Ali Zafar, said in a text message.

Last month, Khan’s party had lost the bat as an election symbol after the Election Commission dismissed the results of an intra-party elections to choose its new chief following the resignation of Khan as its chairman. The party had challenged the order of the poll body in the high court.

Election symbols are important in Pakistan’s elections where a large number of voters are illiterate and unable to read the names of the candidates on the ballot paper. Khan’s party had said losing the bat as the symbol was a major setback for the group in the elections scheduled for Feb. 8 and its voters may struggle to vote for the party.

The ex-cricket captain is facing a five-year disqualification to hold public office or contest elections since he was convicted last year for hiding assets he made from selling state gifts when he was in power. However, his loyalists have vowed to participate in elections. 

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