LARKANA, May 18: Anti-Corruption Establishment and Inquiries chairman Mukhtar Ahmad Shaikh has said that investigations are under way against officials of food, education, irrigation and health departments , New Sabzi Mandi, Karachi, and the Sindh Textbook Board for their alleged involvement in corruption.

Talking to journalists here on Tuesday, he denied any kind of political victimization in holding inquiries and said everything would be decided on merit. He said that lists of complaints against 10 Nazims of the district were also being scrutinized. He did not name the Nazims against whom the ACEI had received complaints.

He said that during his tenure, the Anti-Corruption Committee had decided about 300 cases against officers of 17 to 20 grades of the Sindh government and action had been taken against those who had filed false complaints.

Mr Shaikh said that structural changes would soon be made in the Sindh ACEI, adding that the Sindh chief minister had approved three new directorates to be established in Larkana, Sukkur and Hyderabad. These directorates would start functioning from the next financial year, he added.

He said that the Sindh government had also approved the recruiting of 250 employees for the ACEI. He said the recruitments would be made through the Sindh Public Service Commission.

He said that on prosecution side, the ACEI would hire senior lawyers in every district. The official said that the ACEI had decided to extend incentives for its employees, which included 10 per cent of the detected amount.