Dr Shah cannot contest elections

LAHORE: The Sindh Sports Minister Dr Mohammad Ali Shah will be disqualified automatically if he submits his nomination papers for the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) elections, the date for which has already been extended until May 21.

“The Election Commission has already informed the KCCA regarding Pakistan Cricket Board’s rules for the nomination of the elections,” Sami Khan told The Express Tribune. “Anyone who is an MNA, MPA and Senator will not be able to play any role in the city’s cricket association and this rule has is applicable all across the country.”

The Express Tribune has learnt that Dr Shah, who is currently the president of the KCCA, is likely to submit his nomination paper for the same spot. “I can’t say anything until or unless he submits the nomination paper but if he does he automatically gets disqualified as per the ruling.” Earlier, former president of the Lahore City Cricket Association Aamir Khan Rokhari, who was also an MPA, was disqualified under the same rules but he instead moved to court and sought a stay order against the ruling.

But in the wake of a surprise ruling by the PCB, several clubs deemed Rokhari’s campaign to be over and therefore the zonal groups in Lahore joined other groups.

Published in the Express Tribune, May 11th, 2010.