KARACHI, Nov 30: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday established two tribunals to hear appeals of candidates against rejection of their nomination papers filed for National Assembly and Sindh Assembly seats falling in the city.

The two tribunals comprise as many judges of the Sindh High Court elevated after the imposition of emergency on Nov 3. They are Justices Khwaja Naveed Ahmed and Khalid Ali Z. Qazi.

They will hear appeals from NA-218 Matiari to NA-225 Badin-Tando Mohammad Khan, NA-231 Jamshoro to NA-233 Dadu-II and NA-237 Thatta to NA-258 Karachi XX, PS-43 Matiari to PS-59 Badin-Tando Mohammad Khan III, PS-71 Jamshoro to PS-77 Dadu-IV and PS-84 Thatta–I to PS-130 Karachi-XLII.

They will finalise the process by Dec 14.

Meanwhile, the EC scrutinised the nomination papers of 62 non-Muslim candidates competing for nine seats reserved in the Sindh Assembly for such candidates.

Poll papers of 28 candidates were rejected and those of 30 others found to be valid and accepted. Four cases were deferred to be decided by Dec 3 on production of relevant education certificates by candidates proving their eligibility for their return to the legislature.

The candidates whose cases were deferred are Hergundas Ahuja and Arif Masih of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Lal Chand and Mukesh Kumar of the Pakistan People’s Party.

The 30 non-Muslim candidates whose nomination papers were accepted are as under:

PPP: Lal Chand, Lal Chand Mali, Mohan Mal, Saleem Khurshid Khokhar, Ashok Jeth Malani and Pitan Bar Sewani;

PML-F: Nand Kumar Goklani, Mahesh Kumar, Lachman Das and Bhagoomal alias Bhagchand;

PML-N: Hidayat Masih and Noman Tanvir;

PML-Q: Ram Singh, Eng Kanji Mal, Photo Mal Dileep, Chetan Mal, Dr Sham Sunder and Sham Lal;

MQM: Partab Singh, Stephen Asif Peter, Rasheed Khan, Yaqub Gul, Diwan Chand and Surender Merchant;

MMA: Saleem Michal, Nosheen Bano and Saba Pervaiz;

NPP: Girdhari Lal;

SUP: Dervesh Kumar Mandhan and Sudhamo Lal Ahuja.