KARACHI                     -               Sindh High Court (SHC) on Fri­day issued notices to the chief federal and provincial law of­ficers to submit comments on a petition, seeking constitution of a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shai­kh’s alleged links with crimi­nal elements.

A two-judge bench of the high court directed the petitioner to present arguments on the maintainability of his petition in the next hearing and ensure that a copy of the petition was provided to respondents so they can file their response.

The hearing was adjourned until Feb 11.

The bench, headed by Jus­tice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, was hearing the petition that sought constitution of a JIT to probe the allega­tions leveled against Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh and Provin­cial Information Minister Saeed Ghani.

At a previous hearing on Jan 24, the SHC asked the litigant to explain which forums had he availed to seek redressal of his grievance before approach­ing this court.

“Did you lodge an FIR against the ministers,” the judge fur­ther questioned.

The bench instructed the pe­titioner to approach this court when no one acts on his plea.

The judges, however, gave him time to prepare his argu­ments to satisfy the court as to why this court proceeded with his petition.

Earlier, the petitioner had stated that the Sindh police’s reports exposed the ministers’ alleged involvement in patron­izing criminal elements to gain political mileage and serve their vested interests.

He had requested the SHC to form a JIT to probe into accu­sations leveled against them in these secret reports.

Shikarpur SSP Muhammad Rizwan Khan had compiled two “secret” reports, claiming Saeed Ghani and his brother were facilitating drug peddlers in Mehmoodabad area in Kara­chi.

He claimed Farhan Ghani, brother of the minister, had been helping drug peddlers as an absconding drug dealer, Zaheer Ahmed, was also em­ployed in his office.

Whereas, Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh allegedly used criminal connections to maintain his political clout in Shikarpur.

He also tried to influence the police through criminal ele­ments, says the charge sheet.