KARACHI, April 11: By Saturday, 43 candidates filed their nomination papers for four vacant seats of the National Assembly in the province and 19 for two Sindh Assembly seats for the by-elections scheduled for May 12.

Saturday was the last day for the filing of the nominations. National Assembly seats, NA-240, Karachi II; NA-243, Karachi V; and NA-246, Karachi VIII, fell vacant after resignations by MNAs Sarkaruddin advocate, Sultan Ahmad Khan and Haji Azizullah Brohi, of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement while NA-236 fell vacant after Mohammad Khan Junejo of the Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) was unseated for want of educational qualification.

Provincial assembly seat PS-31, Khairpur, was declared vacant after the unseating of Bashir Ahmad Bhanbhan of the PML-F as he did not posses the required educational qualification and PS-127, Karachi XXXIX, fell vacant after the murder of Abdullah Murad of the People's Party Parliamentarians.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will be held from Monday till April 13 and appeals can be filed against their acceptance or rejection by April 16. The appeals will be decided by April 19.

The candidates can withdraw their nomination papers by April 20, the final list of the candidates will be announced on April 21 and the poling will be held on May 12 from 8am to 5pm. A number of candidates from the main political parties have filed nomination papers but the party tickets will be issued after the scrutiny of the papers.

CANDIDATES: NA-240 (Pak Colony and Baldia Town): Tasleem Farooqui, Minhaj Qazi, Arshad Qureshi and Abid Ali Umang from the MQM, Qari Dr Naseeruddin, Qari Mohammad Usman, Shireen Mohammad and Maulana Zainuddin from the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Sathi Ishaque and Mohammad Bux Lashari from the PPP, Mian Ejaz Shafi and Wazeer Naz Afridi from the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Quadir Khan Mandokhel from the PML (Quaid-i-Azam).

NA-243 (Surjani Town and New Karachi): Abdul Waseem, Adil Khan, Waheed Ahmad, S.A. Nasar, Tasleem Farooqui and Minhaj Qazi from the MQM, Hafiz Mohammad Taqi and Anwar Ahmad Khan from the MMA and Dr Saleem from the PML-N.

NA-246 (Azizabad and F.B. Area): Ashfaq Ahmad Mangi, Nisar Panhwar and Yusuf Munir Shaikh from the MQM, Rashid Naseem, Intikhab Alam Soori, Syed Rashid Ahmad and Nusratullah from the MMA, Sohail Ansari from the PPP and Zahid Sultan from the PML-N.

NA-236 (Sanghar-III): Dr Ayub Shaikh, Omar Qureshi and Nooruddin Chandio from the MQM, Abdul Rehman Thaim and Mohammad Ali Shaikh from the PPP, Muhammad Hanif Khoso from the MMA and independents Fida Hussain Dero, Mukhtar Ali, Mushtaq Ahmad Adil, Liaquat Ali Marri, Hussain Bux Khaskheli and Shakeel Ahmad.

PS-91 (Khairpur-III): Syed Irshad Raza from the MQM, Zafar Hussain and Shaukat Ali from the PPP, Syed Mehtabuddin Shah, Dr Mohammad Rafique and Mohammad Nawaz from the PML-F and Syed Attaullah Shah Jilani, independent.

PS-127 (Karachi): Yousuf Munir Shaikh, Abdul Waseem, Iqbal Gulrez, Salahuddin, Shahbaz Hussain and Ashfaq Mangi from the MQM, Mohammad Omar Jat, Mohammad Arif Mithani, Abdul Waheed and Ghulam Akbar from the PPP, Mufti Mohammad Hanif of the MMA and Mohammad Ashraf Samon, independent.

RETURNING OFFICERS: For NA-236, Sanghar District and Sessions Judge Nabi Bakhsh H. Talpur will be district returning officer, Tando Adam Additional District and Sessions Judge Zulfiqar Ali Shah will be the returning officer and Tando Adam Senior Civil Judge Shafi Mohammad Pirzada and the civil judge and judicial magistrate No-I, Shahdadpur, will be assistant returning officers.

NA-240: Karachi West District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Jawaid Alam will be the DRO, Additional District and Sessions Judge-III Saad Qureshi the RO and Senior Civil judge-II Ghulam Rasool Samoo and Judicial Magistrate and Civil Judge-III, Mumtaz Solangi the AROs.

NA-243: Karachi Central District and Sessions Judge Syed Pir Ali Shah will be the DRO, Additional District and Sessions Judge Naseem Mansoor the RO and , civil judges and judicial magistrates Farzana Mushtaq and Nadeem Hussain the AROs.

NA-246: Karachi Central District and Sessions Judge Syed Pir Ali Shah will be the DRO, the second senior civil judge the RO and civil judges and judicial magistrates Mohammad Afzal Khan and Farooq Ahmed Abbasi the AROs.

PS-31: Khairpur District and Sessions Judge Nisar Mohammad Shaikh will be the DRO, Mirwah assistant sessions judge the RO and the first civil judge and judicial magistrate the ARO.

PS-127: Malir District and Sessions Judge Agha Rafiq Ahmed Khan will be the DRO, the first additional district and sessions judge the RO and the second civil judge and judicial magistrate the.