Electoral Symbol Loss: PTI Follows Precedents in Political History

As election activities intensify in Pakistan, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) recently took a significant step by stripping the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of its iconic ‘bat’ symbol. While some of PTI’s supporters express concern and view it as an unprecedented move, historical records reveal that PTI is not the first political party in the country to lose its electoral symbol.

In 1977, the founder of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, faced a similar situation when the election symbol ‘Sword’ was removed from the Election Commission’s list after the disputed elections under former military ruler General Zia ul Haq. Nevertheless, in 1988, Benazir Bhutto, his daughter, contested and won the elections with a different symbol, the arrow. The PPP continued to win elections in 1993 and 2008 with the arrow symbol, forming governments under different circumstances.

During General Zia ul Haq’s rule, two other symbols were also removed: the scale and plough. In the 1970s, the plough was the symbol of the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA), a nine-party conglomerate against the PPP. The scale belonged to Jamaat-e-Islami, which lost it during that period.

The PPP, with its electoral symbols of speed and arrow, maintains a distinct presence. There are two separate PPP entities registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan – one with the symbol of a sword and the other with an arrow. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s PPP uses the symbol of the sword, while Asif Zardari-led PPP Parliamentarian utilizes the arrow symbol. It is the PPP Parliamentarian that participates in elections, showcasing the resilience of political entities adapting to symbol changes in Pakistan’s electoral history.