12 April 2005	Tuesday	02 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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ISLAMABAD, April 11: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday confirmed that he had received an interim report on Imtiaz Sheikh, the sacked Sindh revenue minister. Talking to reporters after launching a housing scheme for low-paid government employees here at sector G-11/4, the prime minister announced that his inspection commission had submitted the interim report. “However, any decision on the issue would be taken after receiving the final report of the committee,” he said.

The prime minister said Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) president, was handling the issue of Imtiaz Sheikh.

The PML has been facing a political crisis in Sindh after Arbab Ghulam Rahim, the chief minister, removed Mr Sheikh from the office of revenue minister on corruption charges. The sacked minister has pleaded innocence and levelled serious allegations against the chief minister.

The PML Sindh is stated to be in a difficult situation because of the confrontation between its two top-ranking leaders, one the party’s provincial president and the other its secretary-general.

A couple of days ago, the party’s leadership had reportedly assured a delegation of PML Sindh that both the provincial president and the secretary-general would be replaced.

The prime minister’s inspection commission had full mandate to look into the corruption allegations against Mr Sheikh and prepare its report.

The prime minister said the government would have no objection if PPP leaderAsif Ali Zardari was welcomed by his party members.