KARACHI, April 21: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday announced the final list of candidates and their election symbols for the May 12 byelections in four NA and two PS constituencies of Sindh.

There are 24 candidates in the run for the three NA seats from Karachi and six aspirants are contesting for the lone Sindh Assembly seat from Sanghar. The major parties in the fray are the MMA, PPP and MQM whose candidates are identifiable through the symbols (book, arrow and kite) allotted to them.

According to the EC, after the passage of time for withdrawals, seven candidates are in the field for NA-236 (Sanghar). They are: Hussain Bux Khaskheli (pen), Liaquat Ali Marri (rose), Mohammad Ayub Shaikh (kite), Mohammad Hanif Khoso (car), Mohammad Omar Qureshi (jug), Mushtaq Ahmed Adil (book) and Nooruddin Chandio (scooter).

For NA-240 (Baldia and Pak Colony), nine candidates are in the run. They are: Sathi Mohammad Ishaq, Shafiq Rehman Butt, Qari Mohammad Osman (book), Mohammad Arshad Qureshi (pen), Mohammad Bux Lashari alias Buxan Baloch (arrow), Mohammad Abid Ali Khan Umang (kite), Mohammad Minhaj Qazi (lock), Mian Ejaz Shafi (tiger) and Wazeer Khan Afridi (apple).

There are in all six candidates for NA-243 (New Karachi and Surjani Town). They are: Anwar Ahmed Khan Yusufzai (arrow), Hafiz Mohammad Taqi (book), Dr M. Naveed Saleem (tiger), Syed A. Nasir Ali (key), Abdul Waseem (kite) and Waheed Ahmed (lock).

For NA-246 (Liaquatabad-Azizabad), nine candidates are in the field. They are: Ashfaq Mangi (apple), Intikhab Alam Suri (pen), Rashid Naseem (book), Zahid Sultan Khan (tiger), Sohail Ansari (arrow), Syed Rashid Ahmed (star), Nisar Ahmed Panhwar (kite), Nasrullah son of Raja Abdul (pen) and Yusuf Munir Shaikh (hockey).

In Khairpur for PS-31, nine candidates are contesting the election. They are: Ashfaq Mangi (kite), Mohammad Rafique Bhanban (rose), Syed Irshad Raza Shah (crown), Syed Shahabuddin Shah alias Deendar Ali Shah (car), Syed Attaullah Shah Bokhari (aeroplane), Shaukat Ali Rajpar (arrow), Mohammad Ishaq Sher (leaf), Mohammad Nawaz Bhanban (pen) and Yusuf Munir Shaikh (apple).

There are, in all, 11 candidates for PS-127 (Malir). They are: Ashfaq Mangi (kettle), Iqbal Gulraiz (crescent), Zainul Abideen Ansari (tiger), Shahbaz Hussain (wrench), Abdul Waseem (lock), Ghulam Akbar (tape) M. Ashraf Sammo (star), Mohammad Arif Mithani (hockey), Mohammad Omar Jatt (arrow), Mufti Mohammad Hanif (book) and Yusuf Munir Shaikh (kite).

It may be recalled that all the three NA seats in Karachi fell vacant following resignations by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement MNAs Sarkaruddin advocate, Sultan Ahmed Khan and Haji Azizullah Brohi, while NA-236 (Sanghar) fell vacant following disqualification of the sitting MNA, Mohammad Khan Junejo of PML-F for want of educational qualification.

PS-31 Khairpur was declared vacant due to disqualification of MPA Bashir Ahmed Bhanban of PML-F while PS-127 fell vacant with the assassination of Abdullah Murad of PPP.