December 13, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 2, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Dec 12: The Election Commission has allotted election symbols to two more parties, the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) and the Punjab National Party (PNP).

The JWP has been allotted ‘wheel’ and the PNP ‘spade.’ The number of political parties allotted election symbols has now reached 49.

According to a spokesman for the Election Commission, all returning officers have been informed that the symbols of ‘wheel’ and ‘spade’ should not be allotted to any independent candidate.

There are two factions of the JWP, one headed by Talal Bugti, son of Nawab Akbar Bugti, and the other by Nawabzada Baramdagh Bugti, grandson of the late Nawab.

The Election Commission did not say which faction of the JWP had applied for an election symbol as reports from Quetta indicate that none of the factions was wanted to contest the polls.

The Punjab National Party had been given the symbol of ‘turban’ in the 2002 elections and had applied for the same this time.