KARACHI: The process to scrutinise nomination papers of candidates contesting the July 25 general election from Karachi’s national and provincial assembly seats was completed on Tuesday and 1,932 of them were allowed to contest polls.

A total of 570 people filed their nomination papers on the city’s 21 National Assembly seats. Of them, nomination papers of 490 candidates have been accepted while the returning officers (ROs) have rejected papers of 80 candidates.

Likewise, for the city’s 44 Sindh Assembly seats, a total of 1,602 candidates filed their nomination papers and 1,442 of them have been cleared to contest the election. Papers of 160 candidates have been rejected by the ROs.

National Assembly

For two NA seats in Karachi’s South district, total 67 nomination papers were filed and 61 of them have been accepted. Candidature of six aspirants has been rejected.

For five NA seats in Karachi’s West district, total 120 nomination papers were filed and 100 of them have been accepted. Papers of 20 candidates have been rejected.

Nomination forms of 80 NA and 160 PA candidates rejected

In Central district, a total of 100 candidates filed their nomination papers on four NA seats and papers of 91 of them have been accepted. Candidature of nine aspirants has been rejected.

For four NA seats in East district, the ROs accepted the papers of 94 candidates and rejected the candidature of 23 aspirants. The total number of nomination papers filed was 117.

In Malir, a total of 77 candidates filed their papers on three NA seats. The ROs cleared 66 of them and rejected the papers of 11 candidates.

For three NA seats in Korangi district, a total of 89 nomination forms were submitted. Of them, 78 were accepted and 11 were rejected by the ROs concerned.

Sindh Assembly

For five PA seats in South district, a total of 195 candidates filed their nomination papers and 182 of them have been cleared to contest election.

For 11 PA seats in West district, 364 nomination papers were submitted and 342 of them have been accepted. A total of 22 nominations were rejected.

In Central, 262 filed their nomination papers on eight PA seats and 235 of them have been allowed to contest election. Total 27 forms have been rejected by the ROs.

For eight PA seats in East district, a total of 343 people filed their papers and the ROs cleared 300 of them.

In Malir, 186 people filed their nomination papers on five PA seats and 171 of them have been accepted.

For seven PA seats in Korangi district, a total of 252 candidates filed their nomination papers. Of them, papers of 212 candidates have been accepted and 40 rejected.

PSP

The nomination papers of senior vice chairman of the Pak Sarzameen Party Dr Sagheer Ahmed have been accepted from NA-245 and PS-106 constituencies.

Karachi’s Deputy Mayor Arshad Vohra, who is now part of the PSP, is contesting elections from NA-254 and his nomination papers were also accepted on Tuesday.

The nomination papers of former MPA Mehmood Abdurrazzaq and Asif Memon of the PSP were accepted from NA-245 constituency.

MQM-P

Although the PIB and Bahadurabad groups of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan have reconciled, the fate of Dr Farooq Sattar’s favoured candidate Kamran Tessori is not yet clear. However, his nomination papers were also accepted by the returning officer concerned on Tuesday.

Other MQM-P leaders whose papers were accepted after a scrutiny are former leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izharul Hasan and Rauf Siddiqui.

PPP

The nomination papers of former deputy speaker of the Sindh Assembly and PPP leader Syeda Shehla Raza has been accepted from NA-243 constituency. She will contest election against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan.

Some other candidates are Asghar Bihar (NA-245), Imran Abidi (NA-239), Abdul Aziz Memon (NA-247).

PTI

Some other NA-candidates from Karachi whose nominations were found correct and accepted during Monday and Tuesday also include Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Subhan Sahil (NA-250), Zaman Khattak (NA-249) and Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain (NA-245).

June 29 is the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers. The final list of the candidates will be published on June 28.

Those candidates whose nomination papers have been rejected can approach the election tribunals against the decision of the ROs.

As many as 20 tribunals have been set up to redress the grievances of rejected candidates.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2018