A SPOKESMAN for the Sindh chief minister has clarified a news item headlined “CM wants Karachi's five districts restored”, carried by Dawn in its Tuesday (March 16) issue.

The spokesman, referring to a sentence which quoted Qaim Ali Shah as having stated ”the coalition partners (PPP and MQM) had almost agreed on the restoration of the old status of Hyderabad district”, said the chief minister had merely expressed a hope that PPP-Muttahida negotiations would yield a consensus on the administrative status of Hyderabad and Karachi.

“The core committee is meeting regularly to develop a consensus on the new local government system in the province and the chief minister expressed hope that a consensus will evolve over the issue of Hyderabad and Karachi in accordance with aspirations and demands of the people of Sindh,” the spokesman said.