Election postponement suggested by ECP if symbol alteration demands continue to rise

The Pakistani Election Commission (ECP) has voiced worries that if candidates’ insignia were changed after signs had already been assigned to them, there could be further delays to the elections.

Pakistan’s general elections have already been postponed for several months, and some major figures are calling for additional delays for a variety of reasons. On the other hand, the Supreme Court has instructed officials to guarantee that elections are held on February 8.

The voting authority said in a statement made available on Tuesday night that political figures are “having them changed through various forums” following the election emblems’ distribution.

The announcement stated, “It should be noted that following the assignment of election symbols, the election commission has ordered the three printing corporations to print ballots, and the printing process has commenced.”

The announcement was made hours after sources informed that the election commission may decide to postpone voting in some constituencies in the event that high courts permit independent candidates to alter their electoral insignia.

The sources added that when the matter of appeals before high courts demanding changes in symbols was brought up at a conference presided over by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, it was suggested that the dates be changed for specific constituencies.

In a similar vein, 18,059 candidates are running in the upcoming elections, compared to 11,700 who ran in the 2018 contest. 260 million ballots are being printed this time around, up to 220 million in 2018.

The election commission is meeting in this respect to discuss how to handle the current circumstance and guarantee that the commission’s repeated directives not to alter electoral symbols are carried out.

The statement said, “A proposal is also being considered that there will be no other option but to postpone the elections in such constituencies if this process of changing election symbols does not stop.”

The action follows a lawsuit filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) challenging the election commission’s awarding of their insignia on the grounds that it was illegal.

The PTI leaders, Shehryar Afridi, Asif Khan, Kamran Bangash, and Aftab Alam, who are running as independent candidates after their party lost the “bat” symbol, filed petitions with the high court, but their requests were denied.

The ECP issues distinct graphic identifiers, or electoral emblems, to political parties and candidates. Parties typically have enduring symbols. The PTI chose to use the cricket bat as a nod to Imran Khan, the party’s founder and a renowned former national cricket team captain.

The voting paper contains names on it, but since more than forty percent of Pakistan’s 241 million people lack literacy, the images are particularly crucial for identification. The symbols are printed on ballot sheets, which allow voters to stamp their preferred symbol.