LARKANA, Feb 15: Sindh Revenue and Political Affairs Minister Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh has said that seat adjustment arrangement with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement cannot be ruled out for the forthcoming local bodies' election.

Talking to journalists at the circuit House here on Monday night, he said a strategy would be evolved for the polls and it would be discussed with like-minded people. He gave an assurance that the election would be held in a transparent way. He said the election schedule would be announced soon.

About bifurcation of the Hyderabad district, he said all options were being considered. However, he made it clear that the division would not be made on linguistic basis but according to the wishes of people.

Referring to the Qambar situation where protests are continuing against the deaths of four people allegedly in police firing, he said the Sindh chief minister had been asked to end the deadlock and the prevailing tension.

He added that reports of inquiry committees, including the ministerial committee, about affairs of Qambar would soon be submitted to the chief minister. He further said the Qambar problem would be resolved politically and area people would be taken into confidence.

The minister said recruitments would start soon and 10 years relaxation in age would be given to people. He denied that there was any quota in jobs for any coalition partner. Mr Shaikh, who is the Pakistan Muslim League's Sindh chapter secretary-general, said the party membership campaign was going on throughout Sindh.

Mr Shaikh, accompanied by Sindh Minister Altaf Unnar, met PML members and officials of the revenue department and listened to their problems. The ministers assured them that their problems would be resolved.

CHILDREN: The district focal person of the Society for Protection of Rights of the Child, Mukhtair Samo, has observed that broken marriages badly affect children and develop negative trends among them.

He was speaking at a meeting of the Committee for Rights of Children here on Monday. He said children were also affected due to extra engagements of parents because they did not get proper attention.

Dr Sbahia Mughal, Anwar Khokhar, Tahira Leghari, Hamida Kalhoro and others spoke about problems of street children. They said children of lower class families who were deprived of basic facilities could easily be exploited for different crimes. They demanded that the government should ensure children their rights and called upon parents to give proper attention to their children.