KARACHI, Feb 18: Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim said on Friday that eight of the revenue officials involved in the land scam that led to the sacking of revenue minister Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh had already been arrested and would face the charges of tampering with the revenue records and registering mutation on forged documents.

He told a press conference that raids were being conducted on the properties belonging to the Shaikh brothers to arrest the others involved in the scam.

The arrested officials are assistant mukhtiarkar of Shah Faisal Town Anwar Panhwar, DDO (Revenue) of Korangi Ejaz Baloch, mukhtiarkar of Scheme-33 Maqbool Memon, tapedar Maqbool Mehar, DDO (Revenue) of Gadap Salik Nuhr, DDO (Revenue) of Shah Faisal A. R. Siddiqui and sub-registrar Khudadad Jakhrani.

The chief minister's comments on his action to sack his minister were also sought by reporters during his visit to some imambargahs and the Khursheed Memorial Hall, Azizabad, where he talked to the MQM chief Altaf Hussain on telephone. Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad was accompanying the chief minister, adds PPI.

Dr Arbab told the reporters that removal of the minister, Imtiaz Shaikh, would not create any political crisis. "Imtiaz Shaikh had never been loyal to the PML and he is not the only person in the party.

Now the PML chief Chaudhry Shujaat will decide about him," he remarked. Describing his decision as 'justified', he maintained: "It was a unanimous decision endorsed by all components of government as well as top brass of the party."