KARACHI, 24 July — The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recommended barring 98 politicians from taking part in the final phase of municipal elections slated for the first week of August.

Sources said most of the politicians against whom action has been sought belong to the Pakistan People’s Party of former Premier Benazir Bhutto and the Pakistan Muslim League of ex-Premier Nawaz Sharif.

While a formal announcement is still awaited, reports emanating from the capital Islamabad say the names of People’s Party Secretary-General Jahangir Badar, former minister Faisal Saleh Hayat, ex-governor Mustafa Khar, acting president of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Sohail Zia Butt, former Punjab Chief Minister Manzoor Wattoo and a former deputy Rana Nazir Ahmad figure in the list.

None of these leaders were in the run for any municipal slot. Authorities, unnerved by the success of a large number of PPP and PML(N) backed candidates in Punjab and Sindh in civic polls, seem to have taken the step to prevent the leaders of the two parties from capturing mayors’ slots in major cities.

The sources said the list includes the names of politicians who have been sentenced to various terms on graft charges. Notices have been issued by the accountability bureau to 17 other politicians whose cases are pending in courts. Meanwhile, political frenzy has gripped Karachi ahead of the mayoral elections due on Aug. 2. The government has announced that results for the mayor’s slot will be annulled if contestants fail to secure less than 51 percent of total votes. Those securing the first two positions will then have to fight for the slot in a by-election.

The Jamaat-e-Islami is poised to win the mayor’s slot in Karachi. It has 66 votes in an electoral college of 178. The PPP has 53. But the deciding factor will still be the independents.

In another development, Farrukh Altaf Hussain, son of former Punjab Governor Altaf Hussain, has been elected unopposed as district nazim from Jhelum district. He is the only candidate elected unopposed from Punjab.