KARACHI: The third phase of the local government elections began on Monday with the announcement of its poll schedule for six districts of Karachi division.

According to the election commission, polling in Karachi division would be held on Dec 3, 2015 on 1,439 seats of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and district councils.

They include 23 seats of district councillors, 23 chairmen of union councils and an equal number of vice chairmen of the union councils, 68 ward councillors of union committees, 213 chairmen and an equal number of vice chairmen of union committees and 852 seats of ward councillors.

The six districts are Karachi West, Karachi East, Karachi South, Karachi Central, Korangi and Malir.

Although Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Dr Farooq Sattar and some other individuals also have filed petitions contesting the way constituencies of different union councils have been carved out by government functionaries instead of by the election commission as per a directive by the apex court, most of the constituencies under litigation were from Landhi and Korangi union councils. However, whatever the outcome of the under litigation constituencies, likely to be announced on Wednesday, it will not affect the polls schedule of the third phase of the local government elections in Sindh. As such the date for polling is not going to change from Dec 3, 2015, the sources at the election commission said.

According to the election schedule, a public notice would be issued by the returning officers on Sept 28 while nomination papers could be filed from Oct 3 to 7. Scrutiny of the nomination papers would be carried out from Oct 8 to 13.

Candidates could file appeals against decisions of returning officers about acceptance or rejection of the nomination papers by Oct 30 which will be decided by tribunals by Nov 5. Candidates could withdraw their nomination papers by Nov 6 and the final list of candidates would be announced on Nov 7.

The delimitation documents indicated that in Karachi West there would be one district council, six union councils, 24 wards, one district municipal corporation, 46 union committees and 184 wards. In Karachi South and East, there will be one district council, one district municipal corporation, 31 union committees, 124 wards in each district, and in Karachi Central one district council, one district municipal corporation, 51 union committee and 204 wards.

In Korangi District, there would be one district council, one district municipal corporation, 37 union committees and 148 wards. In Malir District there would be one district council, 17 union councils, one district municipal corporation, 17 union committees and 68 wards.

In phase-I in which elections were scheduled on Oct 31in Sukkur and Larkana Divisions, appeals filed against the acceptance and rejection of nomination papers are under process by the tribunals, which will be decided by Sept 24.

In phase II in which elections were scheduled in Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas divisions on Nov 19, the scrutiny of nomination papers would begin on Sept 24 and appeals could be filed against rejection or acceptance of nominations by Oct 6, which would be decided by Oct 12 to be followed by withdrawal of the candidature. The final list would be announced by Oct 14.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd , 2015

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