Caretaker PCB chairman Najam Sethi. PHOTO: AFP
Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court suspended Najam Sethi for not obeying a legal order to elect a permanent chairman for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by October 18.
While hearing a petition filed by former PCB member Ahmed Nawaz, the judge suspended the Interim Management Committee and issued contempt of court notices to Sethi and other members of the IMC, for not holding the PCB elections within 90 days as earlier ordered by the court.
"Sethi, by not holding elections, has disobeyed the court's order and he is suspended and all the matters relating to the board will be handled by PCB secretary," the court said.
The court had declared the secretary PCB to be the acting chairman till a commission headed by Justice (retd) Munir Sheikh conducted elections by the end of November.
It was the second time in five months that the game's chief administrator in Pakistan had been thrown out on a legal challenge.
But, just two hours later, an appeals bench at the same court granted a stay order on the ruling until November 4, following an application from the PCB legal team.
Sethi took to Twitter to welcome the order.
Isbd High Court Two Member Bench has granted STAY against Single Bench Orders. I remain Chairman PCB. Sorry to disappoint pithus/ trolls!
— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) October 29, 2013
He clarified the confusion saying two other judges had restored status quo after one judge had suspended his chairmanship earlier.
@Karachi_Post TWO judges have restored Status Quo after one judge order earlier. .
— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) October 29, 2013
Background
Tuesday's drama was the latest round in a saga that has plunged the administration of the game, followed fanatically by millions in Pakistan, into turmoil since May.
Sethi was appointed in June after the Islamabad High Court threw out the then-chairman Zaka Ashraf over what it called the "dubious" process by which he was elected.
On October 15, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, also the patron-in-chief of PCB, directed the board's suspension and the formation of the IMC to enable PCB's day-to-day functioning, all in line with the directions of the Islamabad High Court.
On Tuesday, the court suspended Sethi following a petition from a cricket official in Punjab province complaining he had ignored a court order to hold an election for the chairmanship by October 18.
The petition of Ahmed Nawaz also stated that the PM's amendment of the PCB constitution's article 41 - in order to facilitate Sethi's appointment as chairman of the committee - was illegal.
But as described above, an appeal against the order enabled Sethi to stay on till Monday.
The legal drama began after the International Cricket Council (ICC), the world governing body, demanded measures to end political interference in the sport.
The appointment of the PCB chairman has traditionally been in the gift of the Pakistani president in his role as patron of the board, and the practice was seen as highly politicised.
To follow ICC rules, Ashraf -- who had been appointed by then-president Asif Ali Zardari -- stood successfully for election to the job, but was struck down following a legal challenge which argued that the process had been flawed.
Former fast bowling star Waqar Younis last week called for a swift end to the legal wrangling, which he said was damaging cricket in Pakistan.
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COMMENTS (45)
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@ Abid P Khan, Well said man :P
@SM: "Why doesnt Najam Sethi go sell books or run that TV show with his small talking bird?" . He always had this option open, to grow long hair and rejoin his old comrades to work for the Balochi Liberation Federation/Army.
Why doesnt Najam Sethi go sell books or run that TV show with his small talking bird?
@p r sharma: Do you think that the comment maker is so naive? being an idiot is a bias, not nature.
It has become fashion in Pakistan to disobey the orders of the Courts and while disobeying the court orders,one feel proud that he is every thing in the country, whereas court orders are issued and then stayed.
This shows that how much we respect the law.
Anyone who is disrespectful to the court should not hold any public office or position of any organization.
Mr. Najma Sethi should resign from his PCH position immediately and should concentrate on the Geo TV's programme.
I wish the courts took this much interest and efficiency in dealing with the terrorists. But oh wait terrorists are dangerous and bite back. Civilians cannot. Quid pro quo.
Please stop making a mockery of the cricket board.....if things keep up this way; its only a matter of time when ICC will ban us.
It is honorable for mr Sethi to resign. A new team should be selected out the judges of the high courts and the Supreme Court so that no referee can decide against them
journalist should do journalism!
This man will sell away all of PCB. He should not be allowed to hide behind legal processes.
Tru Kangroo Court.
Adnan Siddiqui: Instead of making nonsense comments, go have courage and ask your 'siri paye wala leader' why he had to appoint a controversial jurno as a head of cricketing body. Your are not good even at sarcasm!
ET, please publish the name of judges to gave stay in this case. they might be the part of GEO, JS, RAW, CIA nexus, as explained by the great Mubashir Luqman
I think Ex Chief Minister Punjab Najam Sethi shoul concentrate on journalism and forget PCB. Its not his cup of tea.
How flimsy it all looks! On one side Najam Sethi is dying for the slot for reasons best known to him also and wants to cling at all cost. On the other hand a bench of the Hon'le IHC suspending Najam Sethi! Within hours another bench of the same Hon'ble court granting Stay Order! Is there anything remain to say?
Now a three member bench should suspend orders of two members bench. ..
It is hard to implement a vision and set rules and regulations when the administration keeps changing. We need consistency; not just in selection but in administration as well.
Ali Khan
A person of Mr Sethi's status should not indulge into the mess of PCB. Rather he has enough to offer for the bettering the society. Please re-think Mr Sethi.
@A J Khan: If courts did not interfere. The country would have long been eaten by termites this nation is infested with. It's still being eaten but concealingly. Mind you judiciary activism is a blessing in disguise for this nation.
What is wrong with everyone?
Pithus and Trolls....Buhahahahahahahahaha! And we all know who those Pithus and Trolls are ;) Commiserations for the trolls of Deen-e-Imrani.
The Board should be revamped. The members running PCB must be elected rather than selected. The head of the state should refrain from interfering in the sports body and respect it's independence It's a joke for the head of the state to be a patron of a sports body .
This man always portrays himself as holier then thou. His tweet is childish.
And this stay will continue indefinitely like other stays awarded to the noora league.
"I remain the PCB chairman, sorry to disappoint all honest upright and patriotic Pakistanis who want to see an end to corruption and nepotism in our society"... should have been a more apt tweet.
@Imtiaz: Don't waste your breath. Teams don't want to come because of the Security issue.
@salman: "najam should have been removed long time back" . Why? Let him play musical chairs. Does he not belong to the ruling elite of Pakistan?
yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessss
every judge has it's own court - my happiness just went off!
Good decision, the guy has nothing to do with cricket.
@Sami Khan: 100% correct.
The courts in Pakistan thinks they have right to give the verdicts as they are sole authority to run the cricket and country. As far as cricket is concern, too much interferences by courts as well as by the government is very painful and no foreign team like to visit Pakistan in this situation. It is better if ICC suspend Pakistan from it's membership for the period of 5 years to open the eyes of everyone in Pakistan's government and courts who has the habit to overturn the cricket affairs on daily basis.
@Sami Khan: - Geo did not install him as PCB office bearer, It was Nawaz Shariff the patron in chief of PCB. Misinformation results in misjudgment.
najam should have been removed long time back
Thank God!
Next time the team selected by the board will be stopped to work by the court and some retired judge will be appointed to select and coach the new team!!
Shouldn't Nawaz sharif be sent a contempt notice too?
this man is corrupt from top to bottom. When Geo installed him as PCB office bearer i knew he has some evil intentions. now i know he awarded contracts to Geo