LARKANA, Nov 9: Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro said on Sunday that the government was looking into viability of new districts formed by previous governments, on a case to case basis, before taking a final decision.

Talking to journalists at the Bhutto mausoleum where he had come along with acting Sindh governor Ms Shehla Raza, the minister said that senior revenue officers were busy studying the pros and cons of the issue.

He criticised previous rulers for what he said carving out new districts to appease the feudal lords and tribal chieftains who supported them.

He rejected a perception that the Pakistan People’s Party leadership was deliberately avoiding or delaying a decision on the status of old districts for fear of wrath of its coalition partner, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

To a question, he said that Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad had not refused to sign certain bills regarding university administration. He had already signed a bill about formation of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical University in Larkana and if not toady, tomorrow he would sign the bills.

When asked if two PPP ministers had gone to London to meet MQM chief Altaf Hussain to allay misunderstandings, Mr Bhutto said that MQM was a major coalition partner in Sindh government and they went there to discuss some major issues. To another question, he said that the government was fully aware of the issue of paddy procurement and growers’ problems and added in the same breath that the government had decided to enhance procurement price of paddy. Things would take shape within a couple of days, he added.

The minister said earlier in his address to Larkana district bar association that the government might hire services of women lawyers to plead cases of women prisoners and said the government would bear all consultation expenses.

He claimed that some elements were busy hatching conspiracies against the PPP but the party would foil their evil designs.

He handed over a cheque for Rs2.2 million to the secretary of district bar association for undertaking development works at the lawyers’ colony and said that a grant of Rs100 million announced by the prime minister would be released soon.