ECP sends list of parties' electoral symbols to ROs sans PTI

• ECP sends list of poll symbols of 145 political parties. 
• Only candidates nominated by parties to be allotted symbols. 
• PTI not been named in list of election symbols.

ISLAMABAD: With less than a month remaining in the general elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sent the details of electoral symbols of political parties to returning officers (ROs), The News reported Wednesday. 

In this regard, the electoral body has sent a letter as a top priority to the ROs of national and provincial assemblies along with the list of election symbols of 145 political parties.

The ECP, in its letter, emphasises that only candidates nominated by political parties should be allotted relevant election symbols.

The returning officers have been told that election symbols of political parties should not be given to any independent candidate. 

For this, the ECP has also sent a list of separate election symbols for independent candidates, directing the returning officers not to allot symbols to candidates other than those mentioned in the list.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is among over a dozen political parties which has not been named in the list of election symbols, as its iconic "bat" symbol has been stripped of due to the non-conduct of intra-party elections — a legal requirement to qualify for an election symbol.

The parties that have been allotted symbols include Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) which has been allocated "arrow", Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) "sword", Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz "tiger", Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Nazriyati (PTI-N) "batsman". 

Moreover, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P) has been allotted "turban", Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) "eagle", Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) allotted "kite", Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan (JUI-P) "book", Balochistan National Party (BNP) "axe", Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) "scale", Sunni Ittehad Council "horse", Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) "human eye", Pakistan Muslim League (PML) "tractor" and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party "tree".