KARACHI, Dec 30: The Sindh High Court issued notices to federal and provincial government law officers for Jan 5 in a petition by former provincial minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh and his brother challenging registration of cases against them.

The petitioners submitted through Advocate Fareed Ahmed Dayo that they were exonerated by the prime minister’s inspection team, yet false and fabricated cases were being registered against them at the behest of the chief minister. No action was taken on their counter-allegations against the CM and members of his family involving smuggling of women, rape, misappropriation of funds and wheat bags, running of a private jail in Thar, and hurling of threats at the election staff in his home constituency of Thar.

Petitioners Imtiaz and Maqbool Shaikh said the provincial government machinery could not be expected to take any action against the CM and their allegations should be probed by the federal interior ministry or any inquiry officer or committee named by it. Investigation of cases registered against them should also be transferred for the interior ministry.

The petitioners sought a direction to the respondent provincial government to refrain from registering any new case against them without the permission of the Sindh High Court.