HYDERABAD, Feb 1: Sindh Communications and Works Minister Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashidi has supported appointment of administrators in place of existing district governments in the province.

He was talking to journalists and Pakistan Muslim League-F activists at the residence of District Naib Nazim Nawab Rashid Ali Khan on Monday night. Chaudhry Saifullah, district council member Saira Naseer, Thakur Nazir Qaimkhani of the Tando Allahyar taluka, four naib nazims of the Latifabad taluka and others announced joining the PML-F on the occasion.

The minister said there should be no objection if neutral administrators replaced existing district governments because in the past interim governments had been appointed at the Centre and in provinces 90 days before elections.

He said the local bodies' elections would be held on non-party basis but it was a reality that voters always voted for some particular party. Mr Rashidi said the PML-F would contest the polls with its separate identity.

He said the government's coalition parties had different priorities but any alliance for the election could not be ruled out. He said the actual number of seats curtailed in union councils had not been announced.

About any proposals to the National Reconstruction Bureau, he said there were countless people who had been giving different proposals to the NRB but changes being considered by the president were yet to be made public.

He, however, said the kind of devolution that had been talked about could not be seen in existing district governments. He remarked that taluka nazims would have to delegate authority at the union council level and district nazims would have to be impartial.

He supported maximum empowerment of union council members under the devolution plan. The minister supported bifurcation of Hyderabad if it was in favour of people and said it was not expected soon because it was an important city and the issue had been taken up by different political groups and parties as per their respective agendas.

About the law and order situation, he said the existing police force was insufficient to fight criminals in upper and lower Sindh. He observed that one of the reasons for rise in crimes was unemployment.

He criticized the criminal assault on a lady doctor in Sui and said the tribunal investigating the case would give its findings regardless of the fact that it was holding an in-camera trial.

He maintained that the Balochistan issue could only be resolved through negotiations where genuine demands of Baloch people could be discussed. Underscoring the need for activating women in the PML-F, the minister said women should work along with their male colleagues.

He regretted factions of the PML created by the establishment always neglected their workers. He said women should be given equal representation in assemblies. Saira Naseer, Nawab Rashid, Mr Saifullah, Mr Qaimkhani and others also spoke on the occasion.