ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has allotted election symbols to 144 political parties for elections-2013, whereas it deferred the application of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPPP), which is demanding its old emblem ‘Arrow’.
The ECP has fixed March 25th to hear the matter regarding symbol of ‘Arrow’, as some other political parties are also contenders for it.
The remaining big parties were almost allotted their old emblem from which they had contested in previous elections. According to the ECP, the symbol of ‘Tiger’ has been allotted to PML-N, ‘Bicycle’ to Pakistan Muslim League-Q, and ‘Kite’ to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Whereas, Commission allotted the emblem of ‘Scale’ to Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), ‘Lantern’ to Awami National Party (ANP), ‘Rose’ to Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F)and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) has also succeeded to take their own choice of ‘Book’ for general elections.
“Our demand about close book has been accepted as we were not comfortable with the symbol of open book. From this symbol we have been contesting from decades,” said JUI-F leader Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, talking to TheNation.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI)led Imran Khan has got symbol of ‘Bat’, whereas the ECP accepting nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan’s application, allotted ‘Missile’ as election symbol to his Tehrik-e-Tahafuz Pakistan Party (TTP).
All Pakistan Muslim League (APML),led by Pervez Muharraf who has announced to come back to Pakistan on March 24th 2013, has been got ‘Eagle’ as election symbol.
The ECP has allotted ‘Wheel’ to Jamhoori Watan Party‚ ‘Helicopter’ to Ejaz-ul- Haq’s Pakistan Muslim League-Zia.
Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed’s Awami Muslim League (AML) has been received symbol ‘Inkpot with Pen’.
The rest of the parties including Pakthoonkhwa Milli Awami Party has been allotted Tree, Mutahida Deeni Mahaz a group of five religious parties that include Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam (S), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Nazryati Pakistan, Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (Sawad-e-Azam) and Jamiat Ahle-Hadith Pakistan (Elahi Zaheer) has been issued ‘Ladder’ as election symbol.
Whereas, Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan has been allotted ‘Human Hand’ and ‘Truck’ has been given to Tehreek-e-Suba Hazara.
In the ECP’s list, Sun and Crescent were most applied symbols.
After balloting, Sun has been allotted to Christian Progressive Movement and Crescent has been allotted to Hazara Democratic Party. It would not be out of place to mention here that the symbol of ‘Arrow’ is still not decided and ECP has fixed the matter for March 25th, as two other parties have also applied for the enlistment of PPP and Arrow as election symbol.
PPP Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s chairperson Ghinwa Bhutto has sought renaming of her party as Pakistan Peoples Pakistan (PPP) with the claim that her party is real heir of Bhutto’s party and philosophy.
Whereas, a dissident group within in the PPP headed by Naheed Khan, also sought the enlistment of PPP with the emblem of ‘Arrow’ for upcoming election.
On Tuesday ECP took up Naheed Khan’s petition, in which Naheed sought enlistment of PPP with Arrow as election symbol.
Upon this, the ruling PPPP’s General Secretary Jahangir Badr and Samsan Bukhari pleaded that PPPP contested 2002 and 2008 with the symbol of ‘Arrow’ so it should be allotted to them for upcoming elections 2013. Whereas, Senator Safdar Abbasi has also requested the commission that before the allotting this symbol, Commission should decide the fate of their application first.
And, finally the ECP fixed the matter for March 25th.