KARACHI, March 24: The Sindh High Court on Friday further extended the interim protective bail granted to former provincial revenue minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh and others till April 20 in a kidnapping-for-ransom case.

The ex-minister is an accused in the kidnapping of 17-year-old Umer Iqbal from Qayyumabad, Korangi, on June 28, 2003. Zafar Iqbal, complainant father of the boy alleged in the first information report lodged by him with the Korangi police station that the accused kidnapped his son from his house at the behest of the minister and his friend, Atiq Ahmed Siddiqui, and demanded Rs1.5 million as ransom.

Umer Iqbal, the complainant (since deceased) further alleged, was released by the kidnappers on payment of Rs 700,000 at the Defence residence of Mr Imtiaz Sheikh. The case is being tried by an anti-terrorism court.

An SHC division bench, comprising Justices Gulzar Ahmed and Mrs Qaiser Iqbal, adjourned the matter to April 20 and extended the protective bail order till that date.