PTI contesting polls without ‘bat’ after 21 years

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is contesting elections, scheduled for February 8, 2024, without its iconic electoral symbol ‘bat’ after almost 21 years.

Earlier, it contested general elections of 2002, 2013 and 2018 as well as all by-polls held between these elections, on this symbol.

However, the SC stripped the party of this symbol on Saturday for not organising the intra-party polls according to the party rules.

On Sunday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) allotted electoral symbols to 266 candidates belonging to different political parties as well as independent candidates, also belonging to the PTI, for 14 National Assembly seats of Lahore.

The PTI has fielded candidates from all seats of Lahore, who are in run with different election symbols. The candidates, pitched by the PTI, have got ‘cricket stumps’, Alphabet ‘K’, ‘dove’, ‘laptop’, ‘clock’, ‘lamb’, ‘radio’, ‘medals’, ‘racket’, ‘duck’, etc.

The PMLN and the PPP candidates are contesting on their old and traditional party symbols of ‘tiger’ and ‘arrow’, respectively.

Dr Yasmin Rashid, the PTI candidate contesting from NA-130 against former prime minister and PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif, got electoral symbol of ‘laptop’. The PPP has fielded Iqbal Ahmad Khan from this seat, who is contesting on the party symbol of 'arrow'.

Renowned singer Abrarul Haq, who is a PTI candidate from NA-117, has been allotted 'guitar' and he is contesting against the joint candidate of Istehkam Pakistan Party (IPP) and PMLN Abdul Aleem Khan. The IPP election symbol is 'eagle'. Yasir Gilani, a Punjab Assembly candidate from PP-145, has been allotted 'duck'.

From NA-118, Alya Hamza of the PTI has been allotted 'dice', whereas Muhammad Mandi, a provincial Assembly candidate of the PTI, has been given the symbol of 'lamb'. Nadim Atlaf Sherwani, a PTI candidate contesting against Maryam Nawaz from NA-119, has been allotted the symbol of 'cricket stumps'.

Wasim Qadir of the PTI from NA-121, contesting against PMLN's Sheikh Rohail Asgher and PPP's Iftikhar Shahid, is also contesting on the same election symbol of 'cricket stumps'.

Salman Akram Raja Advocate, a PTI candidate from NA-128, has been allotted 'racket', whereas former governor Punjab Mian Azhar, contesting from NA-129, has received the symbol of 'cricket stumps'. Bajash Niazi, a PTI provincial assembly candidate, has been allotted the symbol of 'dove'.