THATTA, Oct 1: Haji Shoukat Ali Malkani of the Sheerazi- Malkani coalition and Syed Masood Mustafa Shah of the Awam Dost Panel have started election campaigns after emerging as final candidates for the District Naib Nazim seat following the withdrawal of their covering candidates on Wednesday.

After the withdrawal of Dr Mushtaq Malkani and Mohammad Din Memon, covering candidates of Haji Shoukat Malkani and Syed Masood Mustafa, respectively, the returning officer Farooq Memon, also allotted election symbol of horse to Haji Shoukat and chair to Syed Masood.

The election for the seat is scheduled to be held on Oct 20.

At least 1102 councillors of the district council would cast their votes to elect the Naib Nazim. The electoral college of the district council originally comprised 1122 councillors belonging to 54 union councils of nine talukas of the district. Twenty of them have either resigned, died or shifted to urban towns.

Haji Shoukat Ali Malkani, fielded by the Shirazi-Malkani coalition group is a younger brother of the PML (Q) MNA from Thatta, Mohammad Ali Malkani.

Masood Mustafa Shah like his political opponent Haji Shoukat Malkani is also a new entrant in the political scenario, but enjoys the influence of his late grandfather, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, and striving hard to harvest the sown seeds of his ancestors.

Both candidates are striving hard and visiting different towns of the district.

WOMAN ATTACKED: A prisoner attacked his wife here on Wednesday at the second civil and family court for demanding divorce from him.