KARACHI: The final list of 15 candidates for the by-election in Karachi's NA-246 constituency was released by the Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday.

The list includes four candidates, one each from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Pasban. The remaining names in the list are independent candidates.

The NA-246 constituency, which lies in Karachi's Azizabad area, was left vacant last month after then MQM MNA Nabeel Gabol resigned from his seat.

The polls, scheduled to be held on April 23, are expected to be a three-way contest between PTI's Imran Ismail, MQM's Kanwar Naveed Jamil and JI's Rashid Naseem.

Kanwar Naveed Jamil

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan Mulsim League - Functional (PML-F) have decided not to field their candidates.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain had announced the nomination of former Hyderabad nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil as the party's candidate for NA-246, which is considered a bastion of the party.

Kanwar Jamil has also remained member of the national and provincial assemblies.

Imran Ismail

PTI has fielded one of its founding members Imran Ismail as its candidate for the seat. Born in Karachi in 1966, Mr Ismail received initial education from Cantt Public School. He graduated from National College and then received higher education in leather and chemical technology from Italy and the US.

Ismail started his career as a volunteer for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust in 1992 and later played an important role in collection of funds for the trust by organising a mega campaign.

Amir Rashid Naseem

JI has fielded its Sindh Naib Amir Rashid Naseem as the party's candidate for the April 23 by-poll. Naseem was also one of the candidates in the May 11, 2013 general elections.

The National Assembly constituency in Azizabad (NA-246) on Tuesday become a battleground for PTI and MQM, when a PTI delegation led by its candidate came under attack at the Jinnah Ground. The ground is planned to be the venue for PTI's April 19 rally.

Read more: Supporters of MQM, PTI clash in Azizabad

The MQM later alleged that the situation arose after banners of party chief Altaf Hussain were torn up and the party's martyrs' memorial was desecrated.

Given below is a copy of the final list of candidates issued by the ECP.

• Aslam Shah (ind)
• Ashraf Ali Qureshi (ind)
• M Mahfooz Yar Khan (ind)
• Perwaiz Ali (ind)
• Hassan Pervaiz (ind)
• Rashid Naseem (JI)
• Syed Azhar Ul Hassan (ind)
• Syed Usman Ali (ind)
• Seema Zarin (ind)
• Abdul Sattar Ansari (ind)
• Usman Muazzam Siddiqui (Pasban)
• Imran Ismail (PTI)
• Kanwar Naveed Jamil (MQM)
• Muhammad Ayub Khan (ind)
• Muanum Zafar (ind)

— Image by author

— Image by author