Pak court accepts Latif`s petition, issues notice to PCB

Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has filed a constitutional petition in the Sindh High Court, seeking sweeping reforms and a democratic system in the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The 44-year-old Latif, in his petition, has demanded redressal of the PCB constitution to make it more fair and transparent including the election rather than appointment of officials. The court has admitted his petition for hearing and issued a notice to the PCB. "I am not against any person and my petition should not be seen as adversarial. It is meant to bring reforms in the board`s working so that there is improvement in Pakistan cricket," Latif told PTI. Interestingly, in the petition, Latif through his lawyer Abdul Sattar Pirzada has challenged the appointments of PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, Director-General cricket Javed Miandad and Director security and vigilance and declared them as unconstitutional. Latif, who played 37 Tests and 166 one-day internationals and was also instrumental in bringing the match-fixing scandal in Pakistan cricket to the fore, said he wanted transparency and an electoral process in the PCB for the betterment of the game. In Pakistan, the President of the country in his capacity as patron in chief of the board, appoints the chairman of the board and gives him unlimited powers. The petition says the petitioner is convinced that the powers assigned to the Patron of PCB (President of Pakistan) are in complete disregard and violation of the Constitution as they smack non-transparent and discriminatory approach in respect of PCB. Also the blatant and admitted failure of Government of Pakistan to amend or pass a new constitution in accordance with the directives of the ICC is a clear cut and flagrant violation of very purposes for which, PCB was established under Section 3 of the Ordinance 1962. PTI