The Islamabad High Court has ordered the acting PCB chairman Najam Sethi to hold an election for his office within 90 days. The High Court was responding to a petition filed by a former Rawalpindi Cricket Association official against the board elections held in May, when Zaka Ashraf was elected chairman for a four-year term under the new PCB constitution, said the reports received here.
The decision from the Islamabad high court came after petitioners challenged a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ballot, which in May elected the incumbent chief Ashraf as chairman for four years.
The court last month termed Ashraf’s election in the new process as “dubious” and “polluted” and the government appointed Najam Sethi as interim chairman until Ashraf’s case was decided.
“Sethi should continue as interim PCB chairman but must hold elections within 90 days to elect a PCB chairman,” the court ordered.
Ashraf was appointed chairman by PCB patron and the president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, in October 2011 under a previous PCB constitution.
But the PCB was forced to introduce a new constitution earlier this year after the International Cricket Council (ICC) ordered an end to all undue government interference.
Sethi said the court would be obeyed.
“I took over on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s instruction on an interim basis and now as per the court orders we will hold elections,” Sethi said after attending the hearing.
“We have to clear the mess in our cricket system,” said Sethi who on Wednesday admitted Pakistan cricket was at its lowest ebb due to a string of controversies.
The presidential appointment of PCB heads was widely criticised by former players and officials as politically motivated, with the chairman coming from the same party as the president, a process also followed in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Top cricket nations like Australia, England, India and South Africa hold elections to chose their cricket heads.
The petitioner had also called for the suspension of the PCB’s new constitution but the High Court ordered the new elections to be held under the same constitution. The petition has now been disposed.
Ashraf was the first-ever elected PCB chairman under the new constitution, which in February removed the system of the Patron of the board, the President of Pakistan, choosing the chairman. Nine governing board members endorsed Ashraf and the process was conducted without any prior announcement, the board revealing Ashraf’s appointment through a press release.
After his election, however, Ashraf faced opposition from the regional associations of Punjab, Pakistan’s largest province with 60% of country’s population, for preventing them from being part of the board. Instead, two new regions without any first-class teams – Larkana and Dera Murad Jamali – were represented on the board.
Do it fast and elect a good man for this department because Cricket is the only sport left in Pakistan and our team hadn't shown a good performance in recent Champions Trophy so a sensible and honest Chairman along with the selectors is required for this field not like the examples of past.
Chair along with the selectors is needed for this area not like the illustrations of previous. Do it quick and choose a excellent man for this division because Cricket is the only game remaining in Pakistan and our group hadn't proven a excellent performance in latest Winners Award so a sensible and sincere
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