Pakistan's Supreme Court on January 13 rejected an attempt by former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party to retain its traditional electoral symbol of a cricket bat, in the latest setback for the jailed leader ahead of general elections. Khan's party, at odds with powerful army generals, has been grappling with a military-backed crackdown that has gathered pace ahead of the February 8 vote. The party, the Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI), alleges the military is attempting to keep it out of the election, a charge the army denies. A party's electoral symbol on ballot papers is significant in a country where the majority of the constituencies are in rural areas with low literacy.
In Pakistan, Imran Khan's Party Loses Cricket Bat As Electoral Symbol
Commuters ride past election campaign posters in Rawalpindi ahead of the upcoming general elections.