Bone of contention: Election Commission allots arrow symbol to PPPP

Naheed Khan announces plans to move Supreme Court over the decision.

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan allotted the ‘arrow’ symbol to the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) on Monday. The commission has reserved the judgment over the ownership dispute by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Three factions of the PPP claim rights over the original party name. These three factions, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Naheed Khan and Ghinwa Bhutto, all claim legal ownership of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party.

Naheed Khan criticised the commission’s judgment, saying that after announcement of the registration of PPP she would approach the apex court against the ECP’s decision. “I submitted the application on March 14 for the registration of PPP before the expiry date of March 15, but even then ECP members say that no such application was submitted.”

“The commission announced its decision without giving us the opportunity of audience,” said Naheed Khan. She alleged that ECP announced the already written decision in favour of President Asif Ali Zardari.

The PPPP has contested the last two elections using the arrow symbol, but this year, Ghinwa Bhutto’s PPP-Shaheed Bhutto and the Naheed Khan-led party both claimed their own parties to be the actual PPP and asked for the arrow as their symbol. Subsequently, the ECP asked all concerned parties to appear before it on 25th March with relevant proof to back their stances.

Senator Safdar Khan, PPP MNA Nasir Shah and Naheed Khan have already challenged intra-party elections of the Pakistan Peoples Party, terming them a ‘backdoor deal’.  Naheed Khan questioned Latif Khosa’s status, saying he was not around until the last hearing, and that he appeared on the scene overnight claiming the symbol.

Ghinwa Bhutto’s lawyer Ghulam Hussain said, “We made sacrifices, while the outgoing ruling PPP looted national money and appointed the murderers of Benazir Bhutto.” Hussain also alleged that Murtaza Bhutto’s murderer was appointed as inspector general.

“Ghinwa Bhutto, Fatima Bhutto and ZA Bhutto (junior) are the real heirs of PPP,” Hussain told the ECP. Meanwhile, the once close aide of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto claimed that she was the successor of the PPP after the assassination of Benazir.

Sardar Latif Khan Khosa argued before the commission that the PPPP had contested two consecutive elections on the symbol of the arrow and it was their right to use it again. The commission accepted his assertion, but will decide the ownership issue of PPP later.

PPPP President Makhdoom Amin Faheem told media persons that they got their symbol again.

Farooq H Naek termed the ECP verdict historic and accused Naheed Khan of trying to create a rift.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2013.