KARACHI, Feb 28: Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh, who has recently been sacked by Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim as revenue minister on corruption charges, has challenged the chief minister to prove the allegations on the floor of the house.

Addressing a press conference in the assembly chamber of Deputy Speaker Rahila Tiwana during break in Monday's proceedings of the Sindh Assembly session, Mr Shaikh said: "Sindh assembly is the apex forum for debates on all issues and it will be appropriate for him to present the case before the house instead of levelling baseless allegations every day."

He recalled that on the first day of the current session, Friday, he remained in the assembly building but the chief minister kept sitting in his chamber and never came out of it. Even today, he added, the CM stayed away from the hall, he added.

In reply to a question, Mr Shaikh said he was not going to move a no-confidence motion against the chief minister, saying he would like to follow the party discipline. He said he would not move any court either for the time being because the prime minister's inspection team was already looking into the matter.

He, however, reiterated his demand that Dr Arbab should tender his resignation and face the charges of corruption. Mr Shaikh said he did have confidence in Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and his inspection team, as well as PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. He said he was leaving for Islamabad today (Monday) and to apprise the top leadership of the Dr Arbab's 'wrong doings'.

The former minister categorically stated that he and his party workers did no more regard Dr Arbab as the Sindh PML president because the had insulted them by using abusive language and getting false cases against about 2,300 party workers in Sindh instituted. He demanded immediate withdrawal of the cases.

Mr Shaikh said that the recovery of Hafeez Shoro from the anti-corruption office on the directives of the court had exposed the claims of chief minister who had now resorted to transferring anti-corruption officials.

He urged President Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and PML Chief Chaudhry Shujaat to take notice of the chief minister's harmful activities that were causing damage to the party and the government. In reply to another question, Imtiaz Shaikh said that the chief minister had not given him anything in writing so far with regard to the corruption charges. -PPI