Election symbols — political zoo gets quirkier

KARACHI: As PTI ‘independent’ candidates battle it out for independent election symbols with the ECP, there are 150 political parties that were lucky enough to get unified party symbols from the ECP.

Starting with the usual suspects, sher (tiger) has comfortably found its place with the PML-N. The PPPP will contest the elections with its traditional arrow (teer) symbol. The PTI as we know is now symbol-less and its nominees will now be contesting as independent candidates on different symbols although its splinter group — the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Nazriati) — will be playing as a 'batsman'.

New kid on the block Jehangir Tareen’s Istekham-e-Pakistan Tehreek will be heading into the elections with the 'eagle' as its symbol. The Awami National Party will hold on to its 'lantern symbol' for the 2024 elections while the Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan still holds the 'book' symbol. The MQM-Pakistan, as in the past, will be flying its 'kite' during its election campaigns to get people to vote for them as Afaq Ahmed-led Mohajir Qaumi Movement Pakistan has held on to its 'candle'. The 'scale of justice' too is back with the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the TLP has retained its 'crane' symbol, and the Balochistan National Party will be wielding its 'axe' like last time. The Mohsin Dawar-led National Democratic Movement will enter the election field with the 'mountain' symbol as another new party, the Haqooq Khalq Party, is all set to make a loud appearance during the elections with its 'loudspeaker' symbol.

With the usual and more mainstream symbols allotted to the usual and more mainstream parties, the more interesting part of the ECP’s symbol list comes with some lesser-known parties which have received their fair share of quirky symbols. Ignoring the negative connotation attached to the crocodile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Such will contest its elections with the 'crocodile' symbol while a party called Move on Pakistan will stick its neck out on Election Day as an 'ostrich'.

In a move to show that the pen is mightier than the sword, the Barabri Party Pakistan will contest elections with the 'pen' — a symbol that has not been embraced by any older party, a statement more on our parties’ fascination with power rather than intellect. With an eye on practicality, the Tehreek-e Ahl-e-Sunnat Pakistan is offering our ‘powerless’ voters a 'generator'.

All talks of reducing gun violence seems baseless as at least two parties have been awarded weapon-related symbols: the Pakistan Muslim League (KQK) will enter the election field with the 'gun' as its symbol while the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Pakistan has settled for the 'revolver'.

Strangely enough, the Pakistan Aman Tehreek has ditched the dove and gone with the 'missile'. The Pakistan Awami Raj will contest using the 'jharoo' (broom) symbol, probably hinting at cleaning the mess the country is in.

Some of the remaining parties have managed to get the following symbols: the Pak League: 'apple'; the Pasban Democratic Party: 'balloons'; the Tehreek-e-Azmat-e-Pakistan: 'basket'; the first Democratic Front: 'bell'; the All Pakistan Muslim League (Jinnah): 'bicycle'.

The Tehreek-e-Tarraqi-o-Kamal: 'binoculars'; the Khadmeen-e-Sindh: 'boat'; the Tehreek-e-Difa-e-Pakistan: 'bow'; the Pakistan National Reformist Party: 'bridge'; the Kissan Ittehad: 'bucket'; the All Pakistan Kissan Ittehad: 'bullock cart'; the Pashtoonkhwa National Awami Party Pakistan: 'bunch of grapes'; the Pakistan Muslim League (J): 'bus'.

The Hazara Qaumi Mahaz Pakistan: 'butterfly'; the Balochistan National Party (Awami): 'camel'; the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Islam: 'cannon'; the Mohib-e-Wattan Nowjawan Inqilabion Ki Anjuman (MNAKA): 'cap'; the Sindh United Party: 'car'; the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League: 'chair'; the Qaumi Watan Party: 'chiragh' (lamp).

The Jamiat Ulma-e-Pakistan (Imam Noorani): Chitrali cap; the Hamdardan-e-Watan Pakistan: coat; Istehkam-e-Pakistan Tehreek: coins; the Mustaqbil Pakistan: comb; the Muttahida Ulema-e-Mashaikh Council of Pakistan: combat aircraft; Nazria Pakistan Council: combat tank; the Kissan Ittehad Awami Party: corn; the Balochistan Awami Party: cow.

The Hazara Democratic Party: crescent; the Tabdeeli Pasand Party: crown; the Peoples Muslim League (Pakistan): cup & saucer; the Pakistan Freedom Movement: date tree; the Saraikistan Democratic Party: deer; the Pakistan Supreme Democratic Party: diamond.

The Jamote Qaumi Movement: electric pole; the Tehreek Tabdili Nizam-e-Pakistan: elephant; the Ittehad-e-Ummat Pakistan: energy saver; the Pakistan Muhafiz Party (National): fan; the Pakistan Muslim Alliance: fish; the Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto): fist; the Pakistan Aam Admi Movement: flower pot; the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan: football; the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Shariat Party: fort; the Jannat Pakistan Party: fountain; the Sulaiman Khel Qabail Movement: gate; the Pakistan Justice & Democratic Party: gavel.

The Awami Tehreek: ghulail; All Pakistan Minority Movement: giraffe; the Pakistan People’s Alliance Party (A): hammer; the Pakistan Awami Quwat: hanger; the Pakistan Muslim League (Zia-ul-Haq Shaheed): helicopter.

The Pakistan Awami League: hockey; the Sunni Ittehad Council: horse; the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Eithad: house; the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Emaan: hud hud; the Awam League: human hand; the Aam Log Party Pakistan: hut; the Awami Muslim League Pakistan: ink pot with pen.

The Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party: iron; the Pakistan Islamic Republican Party: jeep; the Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek: jug; the All Pakistan Mutahida League: kangaroo; the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (Noorani): key; the Pakistan Masiha Party: king; the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Shadbad: knife; the Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan (S): ladder; the Pakistan Awami Jamhuri Ittehad: leaf.

Originally published in The News