PESHAWAR: PTI candidates have challenged the election symbols assigned to them in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday.

Kamran Bangish, Asif Khan, Aftab Alam, and Shafiullah, all PTI candidates, have submitted petitions to the high court. According to the pleas, Kamran Bangish received the symbol of ‘violin,’ while his opponent was given ‘Baja’ (mouth organ). The petition argued that since the rival candidate’s name also starts with Kamran, having similar symbols on the ballot paper would create confusion for voters.

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Asif Khan, running in NA-32, was allotted the symbol of a handcart. Another provincial candidate from the same constituency, also named Asif Khan, was given the identical election symbol of a handcart. The petition claimed that this similarity in symbols would cause confusion among voters.

Aftab Alam, a PTI candidate from Kohat’s PK-90, filed a petition against being assigned the symbol of ‘Brinjal’ (eggplant). Similarly, Shafiullah, another candidate from Kohat, submitted a petition concerning being given the symbol of ‘cabbage’ (Gobhi).

The petitioners argued that, traditionally, a candidate’s opinion was considered before assigning an election symbol. The election commission, district returning officers, and returning officers have all been named as parties in the case.