27 February 2005	Sunday	17 Muharram 1426

KARACHI, Feb. 26: Sacked Sindh Revenue Minister Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh has said that he had prepared a 22-point charge sheet against Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim based on the cases and FIRs registered against him after coming into power of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday at his residence, Mr Shaikh showed the charge sheet including documents pertaining to the complaints of corruption, kidnapping, land grabbing, water theft, maintaining of private prisons, and violation of human rights.

Likewise, summaries indicating mismanagement, nepotism and favouritism, grant of contracts without inviting tenders, appointment of junior officials in higher grade positions, disappearance of 70,000 wheat bags, lapse of millions of rupees of the irrigation development programme etc.

He said he would hand over the charge sheet to the PML chief, the president, the prime minister and the PM's inspection team. Making the contents of the charge sheet public did not amount to violation of the ceasefire as Arbab Rahim, despite the truce brokered by Senator Mushahid Hussain, had been busy in his character assassination.

Responding to questions, Mr Shaikh referred to the press conference of a former Tapedar , Abdul Hafeez Shoro, who was recovered by a judicial magistrate from a washroom of the Anti-Corruption Establishment office.

Mr Shoro, who was produced before the media and Senator Mushahid Hussain as the main witness to corruption of Imtiaz Shaikh, speaking at a press conference on Friday stated that he had been in illegal detention for a week and that he was forced to give evidence against the sacked minister.

Mr Shaikh appealed to President Gen Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, and the PM's inspection team to take notice of the disclosure made by Mr Shoro.

"After the statement by the main witness of Arbab Rahim against me, it was evident before people of Sindh that I was sacked on baseless charges for my political character assassination," Mr Shaikh said and added that besides tarnishing his image, how would be the party prestige restored after it was damaged by the chief minister.

Mr Shaikh, who continues to be the general secretary of the ruling PML's Sindh chapter, said that if Arbab Rahim had any courage and morality he should resign from the office of chief minister as after the statement of his main witness against him (Imtiaz) had no reasons to keep the office.

He said yesterday (Friday) was the blackest day in the PML history in the province when its own party workers were arrested during the party government for staging a peaceful demonstration in his support in front of the Karachi Press Club and then were released on the intervention of Governor Ishratul Ibad late in the night when he contacted the governor.

Referring to some of the points in the charge sheet he had prepared against Dr Arbab Rahim, he said they included granting of contracts of Rs3 billion without inviting tenders, disappearance of 70,000 wheat bags, giving road building contracts of Rs220 million and Rs160 million to his own front men who had no experience of road building.

Likewise, he said FIR No 16/2000 dated 28.7.2000 under section 343, 506-B and section Zina/Hadood Ordinance against his brothers, Thar Rangers FIR No 27/1999 registered at the Diplo police station about kidnapping of 40 women, water theft report of an Xen of the Mithrao canal, misuse of Rs70 million given by the World Bank for school management committees, appointment of his relative Ghulam Qadir Norrio of Mitthi, an under-training officer, as assistant Mukhtiarkar for Gadap, an official of grade 18 from CNW had been given charge of five DOs of grade 20. Likewise, he said, during the last eight months in office, Dr Arbab Rahim had effected transfers and postings of 25 out of 28 secretaries, junior grade officials were given assignments on the higher grade positions. He had appointed an officer of the Agricultural Development Bank as his secretary in violation of the rules.