IHC reserves ruling on petition against new PCB constitution

Karachi: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday reserved its ruling on a petition filed by some members of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) challenging the new constitution of the establishment.

IHC Judge Athar Minhullah while hearing the petition filed by former members Aamir Nawab, Mir Haider Talpur and Rafiq Boghio and a former employee Major (retd) Nadeem Saddel said the Supreme Court had already given its observations on the case. "Our lawyer informed the court that the SC decision related to a case about the chairman of the board and not the new constitution," Boghio told PTI. "But the judge has reserved his judgement after the deputy attorney general of Pakistan submitted a copy of the new constitution today," he added. Sources said during the hearing Judge Minhullah had expressed his displeasure over the petition, pointing out the thinking of the petitioners. The SC while giving its judgement on the PCB issue last month has ordered elections to be held for the post of chairman within a month and also observed that the process of litigations in the courts had harmed the image of Pakistan cricket and the working of the board. Going by the SC judgement the government has appointed retired Judge Sair Ali as caretaker chairman and election commissioner to conduct the elections for the post of chairman. After the government also included Shaharyar Khan and Najam Sethi, both former heads of the PCB, as members of the board of governors, indications are clear that the former will be elected chairman. "Shaharyar Khan is a very experienced administrator and has a very clean reputation. He has worked before as the PCB chief and Pakistan cricket moved forward in his tenure (2003-2006) so they were definitely going to support his election as chairman," Shakeel Sheikh, a member of the board of governors, said. Under the new constitution only the 10 member board of governors can caste votes to elect the new chairman.