KARACHI, Sept 11: The third and final phase of local body elections begins on Monday when returning officer would start collecting nomination papers from candidates aspiring for the office of nazims or for reserved seats. The reserved seats pertain to represent women, peasants/workers and minorities in the district/city/town and tehsil councils.
The nomination papers could be submitted to the ROs till Tuesday during the office hours while polling will be held on Oct 6.
During the last two days, the number of visitors to the returning officers in Karachi to collect nomination forms was below expectations. This lack of interest of people in the third phase of election is because of the indirect nature of election in which not the general public but only elected councillors could cast their vote.
For Karachi District Council besides election of nazim, the polling will be held for 59 reserved seats of women, nine seats of peasants/workers and nine seats of minorities.
In most of the cases, the elections in the third phase is likely to be contested one to one representing the ruling coalition and the combined opposition parties, which had decided to field joint candidate after mutual adjustment among themselves.
In the ruling coalition, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan Muslim League-Q and the Pakistan Mulsim League–F are the main contenders while among opposition parties the Pakistan People’s Party, Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) are in the field.
Although MQM has total sway over 10 out of 18 towns in Karachi, MQM nominee is destined to win the most after sought office of the city nazim. However, except speculations of over half-a-dozen aspirants, its official candidate is yet to be declared. In this connection, a meeting of probable candidates had already been held in London with MQM chief Altaf Hussain in the chair.
The names in circulation are: Dr Farooq Sattar, Mustafa Kamal, Babar Ghori, Safwanullah, Waseem Akhtar, Wasay Jalil, Inmbisat Malik and Obaidur Rehman.
From combined opposition parties, former nazim Niamatullah Khan remained on the top. According to JI circles, there are equal chances of election of their candidate because despite having majority in 10 towns of the city district, the MQM needed support of independent voters to bag the office of nazim.
To win the seat at least 1,158 votes are required from the electorate college comprising 2,314 voters if turn out is ensured at 100 per cent.
They claimed that their total strength of councillors comprising Al-Khidmat, Awam Dost, Al-Khadim, Insan Dost, Khidmatgar and some independents was over 1,000. The total strength of MQM and PML-Q councillors was around 1,100 as there were about 150 independents which remained un-committed till Sunday.
According to the election schedule, provisional list would be issued on Sept 14 and objections would be received on Sept 15 while the next day scrutiny of the nomination papers will be carried out. The candidates can file appeals by Sept 18 as the offices of Returning officers would remain open on Sunday.
The disposal of appeals would be completed by Sept 20 and candidates could withdraw their nomination papers by Sept 21. The final list of candidates along with their election symbols would be published o0n Sept 22 and polling would be held on Oct 6 and its results would be announced by ROs on Oct 10.
FEE: The candidature fee for the district nazim is Rs10,000. The receipt or bank draft should be attached with the nomination papers as a proof of having deposited the candidature fee which is non-refundable. The fee for candidates against the reserved seats of women, peasants/workers and minorities in district would be Rs2,000.
For town/taluka/tehsil nazim the fee would be Rs8,000 while for candidates against the reserved seats of women, peasant/workers and minorities in town/tehsil/taluka would be Rs1,500.
RESERVED SEATS: On the principle of 33 per cent women, and five per cent each peasants/workers and minorities reserved seats, the Keamari Town Council, which comprises eight union councils, election would be held against three women seats, one seat for peasant/workers and one minority.
Likewise for Site Town Council, women seats would be three, Baldia Town three, Orangi Town four, North Nazimabad three, New Karachi four, Gulberg Town three, Liaquatabad four, Lyari four, Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town four, Shah Faisal Town two, Landhi four, Korangi town three, Saddar four, Jamshed Town four, Malir Town two, Bin Qasim Town two and Gadap three.
However, the reserved seats for peasants/workers and minorities would be one each in every town council.