The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken notice of deceptive tactics employed by certain candidates in their applications leading up to the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.
Simultaneously, the deadline for the allocation of electoral symbols to candidates concluded at 7 pm today.
The ECP declared that there would be no extension of time for the allotment of electoral symbols. A directive from the electoral watchdog highlighted that some candidates were attempting to mislead the commission by seeking the electoral symbol of a different political party.
The order explicitly instructed returning officers (ROs) to refrain from assigning an electoral symbol of a party other than the one to which the candidate belongs. It emphasized that each candidate is obligated to submit a party association certificate in accordance with the Election Act, 2017. Furthermore, the directive stated that a candidate cannot hold membership in more than one political party simultaneously.
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Candidates are required to submit an affidavit to the ROs, declaring their party affiliation. This development arose after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) executed ‘Plan B’ by issuing new tickets to candidates under the banner of another party called “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Nazriati.” This move was made amid confusion over the iconic “bat” symbol of the PTI.
In an official statement, the party announced the issuance of fresh tickets to both national and provincial assembly candidates, instructing them to submit declarations to the returning officer.
جن افراد کے پاس ”تحریک انصاف نظریاتی “کے ٹکٹ ہیں وہ فوری طور پر جمع کروا دیں
اور کسی قسم کی رکاوٹ پر شکایات الیکشن کمیشن اور ہائی کورٹ میں لے کر جائیں pic.twitter.com/TyCcLARHTI
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 13, 2024
In a discussion with journalists in Islamabad, PTI spokesperson Shoaib Shaheen stated that party candidates have the option to submit their nomination papers under the name of PTI-N.
“According to the law, the ECP has the authority to allocate tickets to any party. Returning officers are obligated [by the law] to issue tickets for the party specified by the candidates,” explained the PTI representative.
Expressing dissatisfaction, he highlighted instances where the authorities allegedly “appropriate” the bat electoral symbol from the party or manipulate their batsman symbol.
Later in the day, the party raised concerns that Returning Officers (ROs) were not accepting the nomination papers of its candidates. Shoaib Shaheen filed a petition with the election commission in response to this issue.
In response to the situation, PTI-N Chairman Akhtar Iqbal Dar unequivocally rejected the possibility of forming an alliance with the PTI, citing the perceived corruption of its current members.
“Every individual in the PTI’s team is corrupt, and I cannot engage in dialogue with them,” Dar asserted in an interview with Geo News.
When asked about the issuance of tickets to PTI candidates by his party, Dar refrained from commenting on PTI’s founder, stating, “[I] don’t want to comment on PTI’s founder; all of them are corrupt.”
He added, “There can be no negotiations with them [the PTI]. Barrister Gohar and other questionable individuals have taken control of the party.”
The recent maneuver is viewed against the backdrop of uncertainty regarding the participation of the former ruling party in the upcoming general elections, scheduled in less than a month. The ongoing dispute over the electoral “bat” symbol further complicates the political landscape for the party.
