KARACHI, Jan 8: The Election Commission has fixed February 10 as the new date for by-elections on the National Assembly seat NA-250 Karachi-XII and Sindh Assembly seat PA-71 Dadu.

These seats got vacant with the demise of Abdul Sattar Afghani and Ghulam Nabi Shoro of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and Pakistan Peoples’ Party respectively.

Earlier, the polling was scheduled for December 30, which was postponed on the request of the Sindh government and intending candidates who had stated that at the time of election many of their electorates, activists and including some of the candidates would have gone for Haj.

However, accepting the plea the Election Commission had notified that those who had already filed nomination papers in accordance to the earlier schedule need not to file nomination papers afresh or make any deposit under Section 13 of the representation of Peoples’ Act, 1976.

According to the new election schedule, nominations against fallen seats will be invited by the returning officers concerned on January 13 which will be received by them on January 15 and 16.

The scrutiny of nominations will be held on January 17 while appeals against acceptance or rejection of any nomination paper could be filed on January 20 which will be decided by the tribunal by January 24.

Candidates can withdraw their nominations by January 25 and the final list would be made public on January 26 while polling will be held on February 10.