Karachi, The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has officially written to the Chief Election Commissioner, expressing their concerns regarding the denial of the PPP’s election symbol (Arrow) to their ticket holders in Punjab, who are instead categorized as independent candidates. The PPP has called attention to this trend, emphasizing that it is in violation of Section 66 of the Election Act 2017.

According to Pakistan People’s Party, Section 66 of the Election Act 2017, a candidate’s declaration of affiliation with a particular political party, along with a certificate from that party confirming their candidacy from a specific constituency, is the sole requirement for obtaining a prescribed election symbol. The PPP contends that this section should be strictly followed.

The PPP highlighted the importance of political parties in Pakistan’s constitutional democracy, stating that the entire system is built around them. While citizens have the option to contest elections as independent candidates, the presence of independents in elected bodies can lead to issues like horse-trading and undue pressure on elected independents. The PPP argues that this practice goes against the spirit of Article 33 of the Constitution, which calls for discouraging prejudices based on parochial, racial, tribal, sectarian, and provincial lines.

The party has requested the Chief Election Commissioner to issue general instructions to all Returning Officers (ROs) and District Returning Officers (DROs) to allocate prescribed symbols to all candidates who have submitted a certificate from their respective political parties confirming their affiliation, in accordance with Section 66 of the Election Act 2017.

The PPP’s letter aims to address the current challenges faced by their ticket holders and uphold the principles of democratic representation and fair elections.