KARACHI, Aug 21: On Wednesday a total of six nomination papers were submitted to the returning officers in the city on the third day out of six days given to the candidates in the election schedule to file their nomination papers by August 24.

However, none of the six candidates filed from different constituencies in former districts Malir and East belong to any mainstream political parties which reportedly remained engrossed in finalising lists of candidates, procuring attested copies of educational qualifications, occupations and in meeting other formalities to ensure that none of their candidate is knocked out merely on technical grounds.

Mainstream political parties are likely to file the nomination papers of their candidates on Friday or on the last day for submission of nomination papers, ie, Saturday.

According to the election schedule nomination papers will be received till August 24 and their scrutiny will be held between Aug 25 and 31. Appeals against acceptance and rejection of the nomination papers can be filed by September 4 and all appeals will have bee decided by Sept 11. The candidates can withdraw from the contest by Sept 12, and the next day the final list of candidates will be published.

Out of the six nomination forms filed on Tuesday, two were filed in former district Malir for two seats of the national assembly from constituencies NA-253 and NA-256 by Nazeer Ibrahim and Syed Abid Ali Jafri respectively. Both the candidates belong to the Mohajir Qaumi Movement.

Out of the four candidates who filed the nomination papers from former district East, one candidate Afzal Ahmad Advocate is an independent from Sindh assembly seat PS-115. Two of them have filed for the provincial assembly and one has filed papers for nation assembly. All three belong to the MQM. They are Qamar Niaz for NA-257, Mohammad Sharif for PS-121 and Mohammad Saghir for PS-127.

Since Aug 16, when the election schedule was announced, over 1700 nomination papers have been collected by the aspiring candidates and parties.