Najam Sethi hits back at Imran Khan

Former PCB chairman, Najam Sethi today hit back at criticism and allegations made against him by cricketer-turned-politician, Imran Khan by stating that being made the head of the cricket board was a "punishment" for him not a "reward."

Karachi: Former PCB chairman, Najam Sethi on Monday hit back at criticism and allegations made against him by cricketer-turned-politician, Imran Khan by stating that being made the head of the cricket board was a "punishment" for him not a "reward."

Imran, who is going to lead a free Pakistan march to Islamabad on August 14, said today that Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif rewarded Sethi for helping him rig the last elections by making him Chairman of the cricket board. "It was a reward for Najam Sethi who is the acting Punjab Chief Minister in the caretaker set up supported the rigging process," Imran claimed. But Sethi shot back stating that when being appointed the Chairman of the cricket board was a "punishment" and not a "reward" for him. "I don`t know what happened to me when I first accepted the offer to become Chairman of the board for three months last year. But the way things went I don`t see it as a reward it was a punishment," Sethi said. "I wanted to just have a new constitution and hold elections for the new Chairman but the courts didn`t allow me to do that and I was caught up in litigation in courts for nearly 10 months," he said. Sethi said as soon as the courts cleared the litigation he stepped aside as Chairman allowing for elections to be held on August 18. "I don`t know what has happened to Imran these days. He is talking nonsense and makes no sense at all. I don`t know what he wants," Sethi added. Pakistan cricket has a volatile history of changing Chairmen, captains and coaches at the drop of a hat. Until now all heads of the board have been directly appointed as Chairman with unlimited powers by the patron in chief of the PCB which is presently the Prime Minister but in the past used to be the President. "Till I remained Chairman I took no salary from the board. I just took some allowance for my car and that too I have returned back to the board," Sethi claimed. He also dispelled reports that he was facing several tax cases on non payment of taxes.