ECP withdraws TLP’s 'crane' symbol

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has withdrawn the election symbol of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), ruling that the party is no longer entitled to retain the crane symbol after its intra-party elections were rejected.

A five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja held that the party had not met the requirements of Section 209 of the Elections Act, 2017. In its order, the commission said the TLP had become ineligible for an election symbol after the rejection of its internal polls.

"In view of rejection of intra-party election of TLP, the Commission.. declares the political party ineligible to obtain election symbol and the symbol of crane is hereby withdrawn," the order stated.

According to the commission, the term of the TLP’s previous intra-party elections ended on Dec 28, 2025. After months of delays and the rejection of requests for more time, the party filed fresh election documents on July 6, 2026. The ECP, however, rejected the exercise and described it as an imaginary or fictitious process completed within 11 days without proper intimation.

During the proceedings, TLP representatives also acknowledged that they had no contact with their party leader, a point the commission noted because it conflicted with the party’s claim that he had overseen the internal election process. With the latest decision, TLP has become the second major political party after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to lose its election symbol over an alleged failure to hold just and fair intra-party elections.