Zaka Ashraf. PHOTO: TARIQ HASSAN
ISLAMABAD: The cricket saga continues as the recent reinstatement of Zaka Ashraf as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairperson was challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday, Express News reported.
The Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination filed the request at the high court, challenging the decision to reinstate Ashraf. Najam Sethi, Ashraf and 14 other people were made respondents in the request.
On May 17, the IHC had reinstated Ashraf as the chairperson of the body. Justice Noorul Haq had termed Ashraf’s removal last January illegal, besides questioning the formation of the management committee that worked in Sethi’s chairmanship.
Besides reinstating Ashraf, the court had also reinstated 38 employees who were recently sacked by the PCB.
For the fifth time since May 2013, the board saw the reinstatement of a chairperson after he was sent packing on legal grounds. Ashraf was reinstated for the second time after being removed as the PCB chairperson twice.
He was suspended in May 2013 by the IHC after it ruled he had been elected via a dubious process which was carried out during a meeting of the governing body.
However, after a complicated legal process, he was reinstated by the same court on January 15, 2014, before Nawaz dismissed him again on February 10, bringing back in his place Sethi.
Comeback cut short
Ashraf’s comeback as PCB chairperson for the third time was cut short to a mere day as the cricket board stands dissolved after losing eight out of 10 governing board (GB) members.
Seven of the GB members had already completed their tenure earlier while Shakil Sheikh, who is Islamabad Regional Cricket Association (IRCA) president, had resigned on May 18, rocking Zaka’s boat.
With eight members out of the governing board, the PCB stands dissolved and an ad-hoc set-up is likely to be imposed by the PCB Patron, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is likely to announce a new chairperson.
Experts say Ashraf is ‘powerless’ without backing of the governing body and believe it will take at least a month to install a new governing body.
COMMENTS (20)
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@ Last Word : The courts are not anti government. They became fascist with Monsieur Iftikhar Chaudhry. Judges who are partial and no nothing about the law.
Sethi has no business being PCB chairman. The same way Nawaz Sharif has no business being PM. How can someone who has created a joke at the PCB be asked to run the rest of the country.
It so appears that judiciary in Pakistan is trying to run the country taking an anti-govt stand which will make the latter totally dysfunctional.
@Ch. Allah Daad: Thanks you for the amusing comment :)
As per ICC the board Chairman should be elected and there be no government interference.Since Zaka Ashraf is an elected Chairman he should be allowed to continue or be changed through another election.
@Ch. Allah Daad: Nawaz Sharif is an extremely poor administrator. Does this mean that courts should remove him?
@Ch. Allah Daad: Despite serious question marks on the integrity of Najam Sethi, the main issue is not about him. The main point is there is an incumbent. There is no legal way Najam Sethi could be brought in the presence of existing PCB Chairman. Nawal Sharif and PMLN must quit the Gestapo tactics. Country is not their personal fiefdom to be run on their whims.
Najam Sethi is a fine administrator and a clean man and the whole world but us Pakistanis acknowledge it. Nawaz Sharif has appointed the best man for the job, I fail to understand why the courts are bent on keeping Sethi out.
Kick both of them out from PCB and appoint a new Chairman with the knowldge of Cricket.
why we have a cricket board when there is no cricket in Pakistan?
@Naseer: Don't bother answering these kind of people - paid social media commentators - why do i say that: "common sense"
@Kaleem:
The Cricket board is not the Government's (read Nawaz Sharif's) private property! The court should also work on taking the power to suspend or appoint the PCB chairman from the PM.
There should be no government interference in the workings of the PCB
Child'splay. Chasing the tail and not willing to move forward.
Our higher and lower courts have nothing to do with the common man problems. What a tragedy. Good tradition set by Iftikar Chaudry.
That's ridiculous - one of them should give up this musical chair drama - but my guess is that Sethi Sb. did the 35 Punctures to avail all the aces to blackmail the Sharifs in the future - Sethi Sb. being a Businessman is doing this all for the financial interest of his organization.
PCB is a Joke - its like, kids fighting for a toy. The Good players and future talents in pakistan are the sufferers of this mayhem and are responsible for digging their own grave.. They need good and stable management. All Sports do, Pakistan is no exception.
Typical Nawaz Sharif style of Governance. Overall consequences evident.
Why is court so keen to bring an unfavorable person of board's patron in chief? Whats wrong with Najam Sethi? Why court cannot just keep it for govt.
Well, if there isn't entertainment ongoing with blasphemous content on a tv channel and the fallout....here's something to compete with that!!!!