ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) has sent a list of electoral symbols of 145 political parties to the returning officers (ROs).

       Sources told Dawn the list does not include ‘bat’ — PTI’s electoral symbol. Around a dozen other parties, including ANP, have also not been allotted symbols due to legal deficiencies.

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       PTI has been deprived of the symbol as ECP has declared its intra-party elections null and void, while the ANP failed to conduct the elections and thus became ineligible to obtain election symbols under the law.

       Major parties, which have been allotted symbols, include PPPP (arrow), PML-N (tiger), PTI-Nazriyati (batsman), PTI-Parliamentarians (turban), Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (eagle), MQM-P (kite), JUI-F (book), BNP-Mengal (axe), Jamaat-i-Islami (scale), Sunni Ittehad Council (horse), BAP (human eye), Pakistan Muslim League (tractor) and PkMAP Party (tree).

       The list of contesting candidates will be published tomorrow (January 11), and returning officers are to allot symbols to the contesting candidates on Jan 13.

       It has been highlighted that election symbols of political parties shall in no case be allotted to any independent candidate. The list of separate election symbols for independent candidates has also been sent to the ROs.

       The Election Commission has directed the returning officers not to allot symbols other than those mentioned in the list.

       Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2024