KARACHI, Sept 12: The returning officers on Monday began receiving nomination papers for the third phase of Local Government Elections. Opposition parties have accelerated their efforts to form an alliance against the government-backed candidates for the city nazim and 18 towns for the slots of town nazims.

PML-N Sindh president Mamnoon Hussain said that the PML-N is ready to back joint opposition’s candidate for city nazim if the party is given two to three seats.

He said his party had constituted a special committee to coordinate with other opposition parties and a joint candidate for city nazim’s slot is likely to be feilded. Nafees Siddiqui, Secretary General of Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh, confirming the contacts, said the PPP, PML-N, Jamat-i-Islami (JI) and Awami National Party (ANP) are expected to reach an agreement by Tuesday.

A JI leader confirmed the efforts to formulate an alliance and said terms and conditions were being decided. A few candidates filed papers on Monday as seat adjustment between opposition parties was still under way, Nihal Hashmi, a PML-N office-bearer said.

Among those who chose not to file nomination papers was Naimtullah Khan, former city nazim and an obvious city nazim candidate of the JI.

“There is no specific reason for putting off the matter for Tuesday. I would file my nomination papers on Tuesday,” he said.—PPI