KARACHI, Feb 7: There is no word from the interior ministry or the prime minister’s secretariat in respect of the inquiry said to have been conducted into charges against former provincial revenue minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh, a federal attorney informed the Sindh High Court on Tuesday.

The ex-minister had stated in a petition by him and his brother, Maqbool Sheikh, that the PM’s inspection team had thoroughly probed the corruption allegations levelled against him and fully exonerated him from all charges. Therefore, all the investigations launched and cases instated against them should be transferred from provincial to federal agencies and courts. The petitioners also sought security guards from the Rangers or from any other para-military force.

Federal government standing counsel Syed Ziauddin Nasir informed a division bench, comprising Justices Ghulam Rabbani and Zia Pervez, that he had written to the interior ministry and the PM’s Secretariat as asked by the court but had received no response. The hearing was adjourned for arguments by the senior counsel for the petitioners, Raja Qureshi, who was before the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The confirmation of interim bail granted to the ex-minister in the kidnapping-for-ransom case of Umar Iqbal also came up before the division bench. State counsel Raza Hashmi informed the bench that the applicant was avoiding appearance before an anti-terrorism court, which has fixed several dates for framing charge. He sought cancellation of the interim bail order.

Appearing for the applicant, Advocates Shaukat Hussain Zubedi and Farid A. Dayo said the applicant apprehended danger to his life. The chief minister had unleashed vendetta against him. Advocate Hashmi said the court was heavily guarded and former premier Nawaz Sharif appeared before it without any untoward incident. The bench adjourned hearing to Feb 28.

Bail allowed: The Sindh High Court allowed bail to a former deputy controller of buildings on Tuesday on medical grounds.

Applicant Ikhlaq Ahmed is facing a corruption case, along with former Karachi Building Control Authority chief executive Brig A S Nasir (retired) and Mohyddin Sharif, a KBCA official.

According to the prosecution, the applicant’s services were retained after his retirement from the KBCA to provide protection to offending builders. Many KBCA files were recovered from Al Mashriq Centre, adjacent to the Civic Centre, where he used to work after his retirement and also from his residence.

Advocate I A Hashmi submitted that the applicant was suffering from multiple ailments, which threatened his life in prison. He was a heart and diabetic patient and also suffered from pulmonary fibrosis.

Justice Yasmin Abbsai, who heard the bail plea, admitted the applicant to bail subject to his furnishing security amounting to Rs 1 million.