ISLAMABAD, Aug 19: The Election Commission on Monday allotted election symbols to 38 more political parties, including the PPP Parliamentarians and Pakistan Muslim League (N).

The Election Commission turned down the request of five parties, including Millat Party of Farooq Leghari, for allotment of separate symbols on the grounds that they were the part political alliances.

EC Secretary Hasan Mohammad told Dawn that the process of allotment of symbols was almost complete. The Election Commission would take up the case of those six parties that had resubmitted their documents after those were originally returned for not being in conformity with the Political Parties Order 2002, he said.

Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians headed by Makhdoom Amin Fahim was allotted the symbol of its choice — arrow. Pakistan Muslim League, now headed by Shahbaz Sharif, also got the symbol of its choice, tiger.

Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao), which was also a contender for arrow, got lamp. Another faction of the PPP, Shaheed Bhutto, led by Ghinwa Bhutto got ‘fist’ as election symbol. On Saturday, the Election Commission had allotted Muttahida Qaumi Movement the symbol of its choice — kite.

Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) was allotted ‘bicycle’ as election symbol. Pakistan Muslim League (J) had also applied for the same symbol and the EC had to draw lots between the PML (QA) and PML (J) for ‘bicycle’.

The EC stated that on perusal of record “it transpired that PML (J) was part of Grand Democratic Alliance and, therefore, not entitled to a separate symbol. Thus the symbol of ‘bicycle’ was allotted to PML (QA)”.

The EC stated that the allotment of ‘bus’ to the Grand Democratic Alliance was subject to deletion of the name of Pakistan Mazdoor Kissan Party, Islamic Democratic Front and Tehreek Wafaq Pakistan from the list of its component parties, as the request of these parties for registration as parties had been turned down by the EC on the ground that their documents were not in conformity with the provisions of the PPO.

The EC said the GDA was required to delete the names of Pakistan Qaumi Pashtoon Tehreek and Jamaat-i-Islami (Modoodi Group) as those parties had not submitted their documents to the Election Commission.

Pakistan Humwattan Party, Mohajir Ittehad Tehreek, Markazi Jamaat Ahle Hadis Pakistan, Balochistan National Party (Awami), Pakistan Muslim League (J) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (Noorani) were not allotted separate symbols as their being part of the Grand Democratic Alliance and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

Following is the list of political parties and the election symbols allotted to them: PPP Parliamentarians, arrow; PPP (Sherpao), lamp; Pakistan Awami Tehreek, truck; Tameer-i-Pakistan Party, hammer; Balochistan National Democratic Party, spade; Balochistan National Party, axe; Pakistan Muslim League (QA), bicycle; Pakistan Muslim League (Jinnah), television; National Alliance, tractor; Nizam-i-Mustafa Party, clock; Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Pakistan, book; National Awami Party Pakistan, fan; Mohajir Qaumi Movement Pakistan, candle; Qaumi Inqilab Party, boat; PPP (Shaheed Bhutto), fist; Sunni Tehreek, table lamp; Pak Wattan Party, railway engine; Balochistan National Congress, horse; Hazara Qaumi Mahaz, tumbler; Mohib-i-Wattan Nowjwan Inqilabion Ki Anjuman, cap; Sindh Democratic Alliance, dove; Kakar Jamhoori Party Pakistan, stag; Tehreek Hussainia Pakistan, bridge; Pakistan Shia Political Party, hukka; Pakistan Muslim League (F), rose; Ittehad Milli Hazara, bottle; Balochistan National Movement, saw; Labour Party Pakistan, trowel; Qaumi Jamhoori Party, sickle; Istiqlal Party, football; Shan-e-Pakistan Party, flower vase; Pakistan Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party, tree; Pakistan Muslim League (N), tiger; Grand Democratic Alliance, bus; Pakistan Democratic Party, umbrella; Pakistan Social Democratic Party, wrist-watch; Azmat-i-Islam Movement, spectacles; Pakistan Muslim League (Qasim), handpump.