The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has withdrawn the election symbol “crane” from Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) after ruling that the party failed to conduct its intra-party elections according to legal requirements.
A five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja announced the decision, stating that TLP did not comply with Section 209 of the Elections Act, 2017, and its own party constitution regarding the process required to retain an election symbol.
According to the ECP verdict, TLP’s intra-party elections faced several procedural issues, including conducting polls without the mandatory 15-day prior notice to the Commission, declaring all office bearers elected unopposed without proper documentation, and submitting Form-65 with incorrect authorization.
The Commission stated that under Section 215(5) of the Elections Act, TLP became ineligible to retain its election symbol due to non-compliance with legal requirements.
The decision highlights the importance of transparent and properly conducted intra-party elections for political parties in Pakistan. The withdrawal of the crane symbol may affect TLP’s participation and recognition in future electoral processes.
