SIALKOT, Oct 20: Despite the government ban on adoption of the children orphaned in the recent earthquake, more than 1,000 people, including local traders, philanthropists and issueless couples, have formally contacted the district administration seeking these destitute boys and girls.

District Officer (Coordination) Aamir Ejaz Akbar told Dawn that the number of people desiring to adopt these children was increasing.

He said these people, in their applications, expressed their desire to adopt the orphaned children on humanitarian grounds, pledging their good upbringing.

He said among the most desirous were issueless couples or those having no son. Most of such people were eager to adopt boys between the age of one to two years, he added.

He said the district administration had decided to forward these applications to the federal, provincial and AJK governments, for consideration on humanitarian grounds.

The office-bearers of a local NGO Daska Young Blood Bank, said the organization had also received hundreds of such applications from Daska and Sambrial tehsils, seeking adoption of the orphaned children.