A lion in a cage was spotted at the PML-N rally, which will be held in Haripur later in the day. Photo: Geo News 

 

LAHORE: As the general elections are nearing, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has yet again brought its mascot, an actual lion, to its rally.

A lion in a cage was spotted at the PML-N rally venue in Haripur where former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is going to address supporters later in the day.

In 2013, the party received flak from social media users after reports emerged that a white tigress being used a party mascot died due to prolonged exposure to heat.

However, these reports were negated by BBC and it claimed that the ?white tigress named Sandy and owned by one of Mr Sharif?s supporters? was indeed ?still alive?.

The white tigress had first come to public?s notice when she was brought to the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) in Lahore on May 7, 2013. The animal looked severely dehydrated and exhausted.

The tigress was often seen chained in the open back of a Vigo during PML-N?s electoral campaigns.

Interestingly, PML-N?s widely-popular electoral symbol, tiger, hasn?t always been its party symbol. In 1988, Mian Nawaz Sharif had contested his first elections under the symbol of ?cycle?, he even came to power with the same symbol.

However, the symbol of a cycle, which was immensely popular at the time because of its alleged association with General Zia-ul-Haq, was later allotted to Pakistan Muslim League-Junejo (PML-J) and Nawaz was assigned the symbol of a tiger.