PESHAWAR, May 11,2013 (NIZAM UDDIN / UPI Next) — The cricket bat has become a potent symbol, drawing children into the political process, in the lead-up to Pakistan’s planned elections Saturday.
Pakistani political parties use election symbols and the Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf party, led by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, chose the cricket bat.
The cricket bat is among 144 election symbols allotted by the Election Commission of Pakistan to parties and independent candidates. Others include pictures of a book, arrow, lantern, tiger, kite and scale.
“Election symbols play a key role in countries like Pakistan, where literacy rates are low and where multi-party system exists,” Layaq Zada, head of Radio Pakistan in Peshawar, said. “The voters better recognize their candidates and parties through these symbols.”
In the past, he said, Khan’s PTI used the lota, a round brass water vessel, as an election symbol, but the symbol is popularly disliked, so the PTI fared poorly.
Read more Cricket bat symbol draws children into Pakistan’s politics – UPI.com.
