KARACHI: Do the symbols allotted to candidates for local government polls, or any other elections for that matter, have symbolic value?

They sure do. And all the more so if the candidates are superstitious and have nothing else to show for their work. There are 170 symbols for parties and 24 more for independent candidates, some of which might really carry a feel-good vibe or significant meaning for this year’s local government elections being issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Take, for example, the symbol of the chair, or kursi, allotted to the Pakistan Gharib Party. Now who doesn’t seek a chair? Then if some voter, tired of firing arrows in the dark, flying kites, being chased by tigers and batting under the harsh sun or being judged or weighed on the scales feels like resting for a bit, what’s more appealing to the eyes than a chair — a simple wooden one, puffy, upholstered one or a revolving chair. Therein you have a winner!

Allotted the victory sign, the Pakistan Peoples Party-Workers also does not have too much to worry if it is relying on its symbol alone, that is. The lamp, or chiragh, allotted to the Qoumi Wattan Party also invokes hope and may attract some with nothing else going for them. As for the other symbols seen this year, it is not clear what they really symbolise or why the parties wanted them.

You don’t have to worry your pretty head over whether it is a case of the glass being half full or half empty with the Awami Justice Party Pakistan because no one cared to pour in anything into the tumbler or drinking glass they have as their symbol. The same is the case with the Siraikistan Qaumi Ittehad, which has a jug.

The Persian wheel for the Haqiqi Jamote Qaumi Movement is fine. But the Jamhoori Wattan Party’s symbol, wheel, resembles the Ashoka Chakra of the Indian flag. Hopefully, it won’t awaken the patriot in the voter to pull away.

Some parties such as the Aap Janab Sarkar Party (apple), Mohajir Kashmir Movement (pineapple), Pak Wattan Party (pomegranate) and the All Pakistan Christian League (grapes) might also bear fruit.

We also have an Aam Aadimi Party symbolised by a rabbit. Either they move fast or they multiply as quickly as rabbits. And right next to it, we have the slow tortoise representing the All Pakistan Minority Movement. The Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek has been given the cow which, we, of course, have no trouble slaughtering.

By the way, since there is no shortage of the common man here, we have an Aam Admi Party with brick as its symbol and the Aam Admi Justice Party is given the helmet as its symbol.

Though the big parties have stuck with their well-known symbols, change is always good and with such a huge choice at hand there is always something there that suits them so much more like instead of kite, the MQM can always go for the telephone, which the PML-Safdar has.

Meanwhile, for independent candidates there are available symbols such as audio cassette, baby cot, bangles, bottle, electric heater, drum, pressure cooker, stapler, toothbrush, water melon, duck, hen and goat, which we also slaughter and consume without any issues. All except bangles, which signify weakness, may be taken up.

Published in Dawn October 29th, 2015

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