Candidate Amir Mughal shows his election signs black and white to a meeting of voters and says that strange signs have been given to some candidates in the upcoming elections.

In the capital Islamabad, this candidate supporting the former imprisoned Prime Minister Imran Khan says: “Blackcurrant is now the king of all vegetables. It is now a popular symbol on the level of Pakistan.”

In Pakistan, where 60 percent of the people are literate, political parties use electoral signs to identify their candidates in election campaigns and ballot papers.

But the military leadership has increased the pressure on the opposition parties, some candidates say that the authorities have deliberately given them such strange and insulting election signs to undermine their election campaigns.

Imran Khan has been barred from participating in Thursday’s election and his Tehreek-e-Insaf party has been stripped of its historical bat symbol for failing to comply with the Election Commission’s demands.

Dozens of Tehreek-e-Insaf candidates were not allowed to participate in the elections and some of them, who stood for the elections independently, complained of being harassed and said they were forced to live in secret.

Some candidates have been given such fake electoral signs that they cannot get a good impression of the voters in their election campaigns.

A spokesperson of the Election Commission said, these signs to the candidates were selected from a list designed by independent persons.

black berries

Blackcurrant is a common food item in Pakistan, but the blackcurrant symbol is also informally used as a symbol of male genitalia in computer and text messages.

46-year-old candidate Amir Mughal said: “The Election Commission gave us this sign to mock us… We felt embarrassed.”

But the Mughal thought of increasing his fame through this strange sign. In election campaign meetings, one of his colleagues always carries a bag full of black berries and hangs black berries on the walls behind the stage at every meeting.

Mughal always holds a black banjan in his hand during his speeches. He says, the value of black beans has increased four times in Pakistan.

“This sign has given me an incredible amount of exposure. People want to see it because they know it belongs to a candidate who is supporting Imran Khan,” Mughal said.

A chip mark

In the Punjab state, candidate Ejaz Gadon calls his constituency the “last resting place” of his ancestors. He has been given a chippert election symbol which may well reflect his history.

This 50-year-old candidate from Bahawalpur city says: “They asked us to insult us with this sign. Some candidates were given signs that make them feel ashamed in front of the people. This is not an election, it is an injustice.”

He said about his coffin sign: “It is an important tool. When we are alive, we sleep on the bed and when we die, we are carried to our final resting place… This sign is present in every house. .I don’t need to show it to my supporters every moment.”

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party, which is believed to have the support of the military, has been given the electoral symbol of the lion.

But Ejaz Gadon doesn’t consider it effective and says: “The lion is a bloodthirsty animal. We don’t need bloodthirsty animals in our society.”

’empty bottle’

Candidate Shahryar Afridi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is very angry because of receiving the election symbol of the bottle.

In Pashtuns, the term “empty bottle” is used to look down on someone. In the conservative society of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the word bottle is also used for wine.

This 45-year-old candidate from Kohat city says: “Including me, most of the candidates of Tehreek-e-Insaf have been given such signs with the aim of creating a negative impression. We have been given such signs with a large hand to make fun of us. “

Afridi also filed an appeal in the Peshawar High Court but nothing changed.

He said: “When we came to the field for the election campaign, we faced a severe reaction because of the bottle sign. With this sign, our campaign has been automatically sabotaged.”

But Shahryar Afridi says as an attempt to change the perception of his election symbol: “The bottle does not mean only wine, there is also medicine in the bottle. That is why we presented our symbol as a medicine bottle. to cure all the pains in our society.”