Democracy's Visual Language: Electoral Symbols In Pakistan's Voting Process
- By RFE/RL
In Pakistan, where roughly 40 percent of the 240 million people are illiterate, electoral symbols play a crucial role in ensuring voters have a voice in the democratic process.
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A motorcyclist rides past a wall painted with the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) logo of an arrow along a street in Karachi on January 12.
Electoral symbols continue to play an important role in ensuring voters have a voice in the democratic process.
Electoral symbols continue to play an important role in ensuring voters have a voice in the democratic process.
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Commuters pass election campaign posters ahead of general elections in Rawalpindi on January 9.
Pakistan will be having new elections on February 8. To ensure that each eligible voter has a say in the political process, each political party is assigned a unique symbol that is displayed next to the party's name.
Pakistan will be having new elections on February 8. To ensure that each eligible voter has a say in the political process, each political party is assigned a unique symbol that is displayed next to the party's name.
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Electoral symbols of political parties and candidates are displayed at an office of the election commission in Rawalpindi on January 15.
The system is designed to ensure that individuals with limited literacy skills can still participate effectively in the democratic process.
The system is designed to ensure that individuals with limited literacy skills can still participate effectively in the democratic process.
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A worker prints a poster depicting former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who leads the Pakistan Muslim League-N. The symbol for PML-N is a tiger.
A total of 147 symbols representing animals, inanimate objects, flowers, and even combat aircraft are visible across the country.
A total of 147 symbols representing animals, inanimate objects, flowers, and even combat aircraft are visible across the country.
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A Pakistani worker in Karachi creates an election poster featuring the symbol of a chair for the Allah-o Akbar Tehrik (AAT) party.
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Vendors in Peshawar sell flags of the Awami National Party (ANP), whose symbol is a lantern
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Workers in Karachi manufacture baseball caps for the Balochistan National Party (Mengal), depicting images of party leaders and their symbol of an axe.
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Some of the symbols have caused controversy, such as these supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) holding the party's electoral symbol of a cricket bat after a hearing outside the Peshawar High Court in Peshawar on January 10
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PTI supporters gather during a rally in Hyderabad.
Pakistan's Supreme Court on January 13 blocked the PTI from retaining its traditional electoral symbol in the latest setback for the jailed leader ahead of general elections.
Pakistan's Supreme Court on January 13 blocked the PTI from retaining its traditional electoral symbol in the latest setback for the jailed leader ahead of general elections.
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A worker arranges the posters of the Jamaat-e Islami (JI) party in Karachi, featuring their leader Hafiz Naeem ur-Rehman and the symbol of a scale.
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Laborers sit next to election campaign posters on a roadside in Rawalpindi.
The final list of candidates is set to be issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan on January 23.
The final list of candidates is set to be issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan on January 23.
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Workers in Karachi stitch the flags of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) -- a white star -- and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) -- a sword at a factory.
Nearly 23,000 candidates contesting for national and provincial assemblies have had their nomination papers accepted.
Nearly 23,000 candidates contesting for national and provincial assemblies have had their nomination papers accepted.
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A Pakistani worker arranges the flags of Islamic political party Jamiat Ulma-e Islam Fazal (JUI-F) in Karachi.
With the elections approaching, printers across Pakistan are working tirelessly to keep up with the demand for campaign posters, flyers, and merchandise.
With the elections approaching, printers across Pakistan are working tirelessly to keep up with the demand for campaign posters, flyers, and merchandise.
