ISLAMABAD, March 2: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has asked Pakistan Muslim League President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to sack former provincial revenue minister Imtiaz Shaikh from the post of the general secretary of the party's Sindh chapter.

Speaking at a news conference here on Wednesday, the chief minister justified his decision of dismissing Mr Shaikh from his cabinet on charges of corruption and misuse of authority and said that he had sent a letter to the PML president asking him formally to remove Mr Shaikh from the party office.

The chief minister claimed that President Gen Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Chaudhry Shujaat shared the view that there was no place for corrupt people in the government and he was confident that Mr Shaikh would soon be fired from the party post.

The chief minister said Mr Shaikh's presence in the party was not in the interest of the PML and would hinder the smooth functioning of the party. When asked about 22 allegations levelled by Mr Shaikh against him, he said: "Let him prove his allegations.

I speak with the papers (evidence) in my hand. He (Mr Shaikh) is shouting in the air and if he still considers himself innocent, he should prove his innocence before the court".

The chief minister rejected an impression that the PML's top brass did not see eye to eye with him on the issue. He said being the CM of the province, it was his duty to act to stop the minister from committing more corruption.

He said: "We always make corruption allegations against people at a time when they have done their job and are no more in power. It is useless crying over spilt milk. We should take action against corrupt elements when they are in power".

He said he had set a precedent by taking action against a "corrupt' minister of his own government. He said he could have given a free hand to the minister but he could not do so.

The chief minister said Mr Shaikh had threatened that because of his sacking the Sindh government would collapse, however, this has not happened. He said there was a coalition government in Sindh and Mr Shaikh's removal had been seen as a positive step by most of the members of the provincial assembly.

Replying to a question, the chief minister said: "Even if a motorbike is snatched in Shikarpur (Mr Shaikh's constituency), it is recovered from his (Mr Shaikh's) residence".