HYDERABAD, Feb 13: Representatives of the Hyderabad Awami Mahaz have demanded creation of a city district comprising Latifabad, Qasimabad, Hyderabad City and Rural talukas.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club on Sunday, HAM chairman Iqbal Hussain, vice-chairman Saood Naqvi, Abdul Ghani Ansari and Karim Ghauri announced that if the city government was not formed within 10 days they would resort to a phase-wise protest movement.

They said the people of Tando Allahyar taluka were demanding creation of a separate district and likewise the people of Hyderabad were demanding city district government for solving their problems.

They said the Sindh government was delaying creation of city government and new district for unknown political expediencies. They said the government was frightened because of statements of some so-called nationalists who represented minority.

They dispelled the impression that the city government would promote division among rural and urban population or ethnicity. They said initially the government decided to create city district in big cities given peculiar nature of their problems.

They said the Hyderabad district fulfilled required criteria for the city district but it was not made. They said provincial governments were empowered to announce the city district provided a city fulfilled certain requirements of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001.

They quoted relevant sections of the SLGO 2001, specifying requirements for formation of a city district and said the City, Latifabad and Qasimabad talukas were fit to become city government.

They said if there was objection on three talukas then the Hyderabad Rural taluka could be made part of city district. They said City and Latifabad talukas would represent Urdu-speaking people and Rural and Qasimabad would represent Sindhis.

They said this would be balancing act and would certainly allay fears that Hyderabad was bifurcated on ethnic lines. They said the opponents of the city government must show large hearted ness.

They demanded that funds of the Hyderabad development package should be utilized on the existing eight talukas as planned. They warned that they would launch a signature campaign in support of the city government, write letters to president and prime minister and resort to protest if the city government was not formed in 10 days.