Imran Khan's party plans to merge with Sunni Ittehad Council if Election Commission returns 'bat' symbol

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser on Friday said his party would "merge" with the Sunni Ittehad Council if the Election Commission of Pakistan accepted its recent intra-party polls and returned its electoral symbol of 'bat', Dawn reported. Notably, the symbol of Imran Khan-founded party was revoked by the Supreme Court after back-and-forth verdicts by the ECP and the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

"Yes, we will remain but we will also merge with it," Asad Qaiser said. He explained that if the party got back its electoral symbol after the recent intra-party polls, "both [parties] would merge" and "remain as PTI", rather than the current scenario of its candidates being a part of the SIC.

The PTI conducted its intra-party elections on March 3, for the third time in the past two years, following its Dec 2 elections that were earlier declared invalid. Earlier on Thursday, the Peshawar High Court upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan's decision to reject the party allocation of reserved women and minority seats.

The dismissal of its plea challenging the ECP verdict has left the SIC -- the new home of PTI-backed winning candidates -- with no reserved seats. The PTI has said it would take the matter to the Supreme Court, as reported by Dawn. On being asked if it would be allowed under the laws, the PTI leader said his party was consulting legal experts.

Speaking about the Peshawar HC verdict, the ex-national assembly speaker said the party's legal team "should challenge it in the Supreme Court". Qaiser further slammed the ruling coalition government in Pakistan, while claiming that they will themselves "run away".

"A fake government cannot understand this country's economic situation. [...] They do not have the capacity, capability or even authority to make decisions. They will run away themselves," Dawn quoted him as saying.