HYDERABAD, Feb 16: The Sindh chapter of the Jamaat-i-Islami has demanded formation of city districts in Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana within the limits of their defunct municipal corporations before local bodies' elections.

For bifurcation of Hyderabad district, it urged the government to consult MPAs, MNAs and senators from the area and the district council before taking any decision. Speaking at a press conference at the press club here on Wednesday, Ameer of the Sindh JI Dr Mumtaz Memon quoted section eight of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001 which envisaged provisions for city district governments after fulfilment of certain procedural criteria.

He recalled that with the abolition of municipal corporations in Larkana, Sukkur, Hyderabad and Karachi and formation of a city district government in Karachi, it was announced that in the next phase, city district governments in other big cities of Sindh would also be formed.

He said that the government must fulfil its promise by giving city district status to rest of three cities which had municipal corporations before devolution plan.

He recalled a report, presented at the district council by Rana Mehmood Ali Khan, had pointed out that Hyderabad's 90 per cent population was affiliated with industrial sector, trade and labour and thus a city government could be formed within the former municipal limits of the city. He said that people of Larkana and Sukkur faced same kind of issues which residents of Hyderabad were confronted with.

The fear of creation of an ethnic divide in Hyderabad after the inception of city district there were not incorrect because after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had taken over its municipal corporation in the past, it had appointed mayor and deputy mayor from Urdu speaking community against the tradition of an Urdu speaking mayor and a Sindhi speaking deputy mayor, causing sense of deprivation among the Sindhi people, he said. He added that a solution to this problem lied in ensuring representation of two communities in the city district government.