ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has tasked the Printing Corporation of Pakistan with printing 250 million watermarked ballot papers for the February 8 national and provincial assemblies’ polls.
The decision was taken during a meeting at the ECP. The ballot papers set to be printed at three different organizations will have distinctive watermarks. Intensive security protocols have been ensured at the Printing Corporation of Pakistan premises during the ballot paper production.
In a significant milestone, the ECP had started using watermarked ballot papers in 2018 general elections. The Security Printing Corporation, the Pakistan Postal Foundation, and the Printing Corporation of Pakistan are sharing the printing workload.
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In the coming days, the ballot papers and other election material will be transported from printing machines to designated officials.
The ECP has allotted electoral symbols to around 150 political parties competing for seats in the upcoming polls for both the National and provincial assemblies.
According to the list uploaded on ECP’s website, the PML-N received the ‘tiger’ symbol, the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, ‘arrow’; the Pakistan Peoples Party, ‘sword’; the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Nazriati, ‘batsman’; the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, ‘eagle’; the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, ‘kite’; the JUI-F, ‘book’; JI. ‘scale’; Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians, ‘turban’; the BNP, ‘axe’; the ANP, ‘lantern’; Balochistan National Party Awami, ‘camel’; and the Balochistan Awami Party received the symbol ‘cow’.
