Some 106 political parties to fight for 849 seats at general election: ECP

ISLAMABAD: As many as 106 registered political parties out of 120 are all prepared to wrestle in fray of July 25 general elections on 849 national and provincial assemblies’ seats as these have been issued election symbols.

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), of the total 120, has not issued any election symbols to 14 political parties which mean they would be out of contest.

According to ECP Spokesperson Altaf Khan, ECP had incorporated two new rules, including 20,000 attested copies of Computerized National Identity Cards of party workers and Rs 200,000 registration fee to control the mushroom growth of political parties as previously, 216 parties had managed to get the election symbols for contesting the general election of 2013.

The 14 registered parties, which failed to hold intra-party election and comply with other rules and regulations of the ECP, were not allotted electoral symbols, he said.

The rules, the spokesperson said, proved to be instrumental in tapping the mushrooming of political parties this time that witnessed a surge in 2013.

The parties, which were not allotted election symbols, included Pakistan Muslim League (Sher-e-Bangal), Tehreek-e-Tahafuze Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Ehsas-e-Pakistan, Tehreek Ahle-e-Sunnat Pakistan, Pakistan National Muslim League, Tehreek-e-Suba Hazara and others.

Altaf said the Commission, in that regard, had written letters to all parties contending for registration to submit all the required details within the stipulated time otherwise their registration would be declared null and void.

He said the watchdog was logistically fully prepared to hold the upcoming election on time scheduled to be held on July 25 of this year.

It is pertinent to mention that returning officers across the country have allocated party symbols to prospective candidates who produced party certificates while independent candidates were allocated symbols from the list of 224 symbols.