The Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to deprive the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) of its bat symbol after a marathon hearing on Saturday. The bench ruled that there was no evidence to show that PTI had held intra-party polls, and the ECP did not act in a discriminatory manner. The decision was announced minutes before the election watchdog’s extended deadline for party ticket submissions. The court criticized the ECP for not providing equal opportunities to all party members, and stated that the complaints from 14 PTI members were brushed aside. The PTI’s lawyer highlighted the potential adverse effects on the future of the country due to the decision.