KARACHI, Oct 1: The Election Commission has asked all elected councillors, nazims and naib nazims of union councils to get their identity cards prepared by the EC and obtain the same from the office of the assistant election commissioner of their respective district.

Every councillor declared elected in the first and second phases of the local government election has to submit an application, along with two photographs and copy of the national identity card to obtain the EC ID card, according to an EC communication.

In a press release, the EC has pointed out that production of the EC card, issued by the assistant election commissioner (AEC), and the NIC is obligatory upon all elected representatives eligible to cast his vote in the third phase of the LB election, scheduled for October 6.

According to a report, most of the newly-elected councillors in Karachi district have already applied for the EC card.

On the polling day, every councillor would be issued eight ballot papers of different colours each containing names of the candidates of a particular category. The categories are city/district nazim, member of city/district council to be elected on a seat reserved for women, peasants/workers and minorities, town/taluka nazim; and member of town/taluka council to be elected on a seat reserved for women, peasants/workers and minorities.

In Karachi city district, there are four candidates, including Syed Mustafa Kamal of Haq Parast Group and Niamatullah Khan of Tameer-i-Karachi Ittehad, vying for the slot of city nazim.

Against the 59 seats reserved for women in the district council, there are 136 candidates in the field whereas against the nine reserved seats for peasants/workers, there are 68 aspirants in the fray. Thirty-five candidates are contesting for the nine seats reserved for minorities.

Likewise, for the 18 seats of town nazim, there are 60 candidates in the field and 144 candidates are contesting for the 59 seats reserved for women.

Against the 18 seats reserved for peasants/workers, there are 85 aspirants and for another 18 reserved seats for minorities, there are 44 candidates in the field.