HYDERABAD, Jan 4: Members of the district council warned on Tuesday's that bifurcation the district was a serious issue and required debate lest a Qambar-like situation developed here.

Speaking at a session, they complained that resolutions passed by the council had not been implemented by the provincial government and said that officials did not want the district government system to be strengthened and become result-oriented.

Badarun Nisa Qazi welcomed President Gen Pervez Musharraf's decision not to shed his uniform but her remarks invited slogans of "shame, shame" from the Awam Dost Panel-backed members.

Opening the debate on performance of the council and district government, Saira Naseer said that women were thankful to the president whose policies had led to their empowerment and greater participation in elections. Raza Shah said that the system was practicable but those who introduced it had left the members in the lurch.

He said that council deserved praise for eliminating rural-urban divide. "We came here with reservations keeping in mind hard realities of the district but members from urban and rural areas proved that their bond of brotherhood has been strengthened", he said.

He said that the district bifurcation was a serious issue which should be discussed and members would foil attempts to create a divide between them. His contention was supported by Miran Mohammad Shah, Mir Abdul Karim Talpur, Ali Nawaz Kutrio and Naib Bux Lund. Ayaz Arain, disagreeing with them, said that it was an administrative matter and should not be linked to any ethnic bias.