Pakistan is gearing up for its general elections on February 8, 2024, but some of the candidates are facing a unique challenge: they have to campaign with unusual and humorous symbols instead of their party’s iconic bat.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by former cricketer Imran Khan, was deprived of its trademark symbol by the Supreme Court, which upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to reject the party’s registration due to internal disputes.
As a result, many PTI candidates have opted to contest the polls as independent candidates, and have been allotted different symbols by the ECP. Some of these symbols are quite amusing and have sparked laughter and curiosity among the voters.
For instance, PTI senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s children Mehr Bano Qureshi and Zain Hussain Qureshi have been given the symbols of tongs and shoe for their respective constituencies in Multan. Jamshed Dasti, who is contesting on two seats from Muzaffargarh, has been assigned a harmonium and an aeroplane. Shaukat Yousafzai, who is running from Shangla, has been given a rocket.
Some of the other symbols that PTI candidates have to use include a teapot, a racket, a bottle, a bowl, a door, a shoe, a tunnel, a clock, a wicket, a lari, a goat, a cooker, a peacock, a pigeon, a rollercoaster, and a stabilizer.
The candidates have tried to make the best of their situation by using their symbols creatively in their campaign slogans, posters, and social media posts. For example, Zain Hussain Qureshi has used the hashtag #ShoeTheChange to appeal to his supporters. Shandana Gulzar, who has been given a bowl, has used the slogan “Bowl out corruption”. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who has been allotted a teapot, has said that he will serve the people like tea.
The PTI candidates have also received support and encouragement from their party leader Imran Khan, who has urged them to fight the elections with courage and conviction. He has also assured them that he will form a coalition government with them if they win their seats.
The PTI is one of the main contenders in the upcoming elections, along with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The PTI claims to represent a new and progressive vision for Pakistan, and promises to end corruption, poverty, and terrorism in the country.
The elections are expected to be a close and competitive affair, with many factors influencing the voters’ choices. The PTI candidates hope that their symbols will not only make them stand out from the crowd, but also help them win the hearts and minds of the people.