HYDERABAD, Jan 6: District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman presented in the district council here on Thursday a proposal on setting up a Hyderabad city district, comprising 17 towns instead of three talukas.

Four proposals are consideration of the provincial government to bifurcate Hyderabad into two districts - City and Tando Allahyar. However, the council decided to ask the DCO to brief it on the four proposals submitted by him to the Sindh government. The session was adjourned for Saturday when the DCO is expected to brief the council.

The legality of the session was questioned at its outset by Yousuf Qureshi, who quoted rule 18 of the Rules of Business which required at least seven-day notice for convening a session. Secondly, he added, there was no agenda of the session.

To resolve the controversy, the nazim proposed that today he should be allowed to brief the session on his plan about composition of the city district and the council may discuss it from Monday. He said that the DCO should also be asked to give his presentation on Saturday to which the members agreed.

PROTEST: Later, answering reporters' questions, the nazim said that he was the administrative head of the district and it was necessary to consult him on the district bifurcation issue but he had been ignored by the provincial government which had sought proposals from the DCO.