ISLAMABAD, March 6: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who reached Karachi on Sunday afternoon, is expected to chair a high-level meeting to resolve the crisis which erupted after the sacking of Sindh revenue minister Imtiaz Sheikh.

Governor Sindh Ishratul Ibad and Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim Khan will also attend the meeting.

The prime minister was reported to have held discussions with the governor and the chief minister immediately after reaching the provincial capital.

The prime minister, according to sources, has decided to hold the meeting to sort out differences between Dr Arbab Rahim and Mr Sheikh who also hold top party positions. He will also take up the issue of police baton-charging a pro-Sheikh PML rally and subsequent arrest of a number of supporters of Mr Sheikh, apparently on the orders of the chief minister.

PML president Chaudhry Shujaat, the sources said, had also taken serious view of the action. Premier Aziz is also likely to meet the chairman of the Prime Minister's Inspection Commission that has been set up to probe into allegations of corruption and misuse of power against the sacked minister and counter-allegations levelled by Mr Imtiaz.

The prime minister, the sources said, was extremely perturbed over the situation as the Sindh chief minister had taken the controversial decision ignoring the advice of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. Besides Dr Arbab Rahim had also refused to stop attacking Mr Sheikh despite the prime minister's advice for a complete ceasefire until completion of the investigation.

Dr Arbab Rahim had told reporters in Islamabad the other day that he had written to Chaudhry Shujaat to remove Mr Sheikh from the party office.

A party source in Karachi told Dawn that there appeared no possibility of a patch-up between Mr Sheikh and Dr Rahim, but the prime minister would try to get them together on one table.