Lahore, Aug 25 (PTI) The Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board’s temporary Cricket Management Committee, Zaka Ashraf on Friday approached the Lahore High Court to stop any move by the government to replace him.
The Lahore HC held a hearing on his plea and called all the concerned defendants to appear before it on Monday.
The move comes after the Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination, which deals with sports matters, sent a note to the principal secretary of the caretaker Prime Minister saying that the Election Commission of Pakistan had called for termination of all heads of different institutions who were appointed on political basis by the outgoing coalition government.
A reliable source aware of the developments said Ashraf had realised that there were serious attempts to remove him from the post.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) which brought him into the PCB is no longer in power in the caretaker set-up which will hold general elections in the country.
“The court has summoned the secretary of Election Commission, federal government representatives and other parties for the hearing on 28th June,” the source said.
The judge during Friday’s hearing asked Ashraf’s lawyer when the CMC intended to hold the elections of the board/board of governors for which purpose they were appointed by the outgoing PM.
The source said the judge expressed concern that until now the PCB has not issued any election schedule.
However, Ashraf’s lawyer assured the election schedule would be made available to the court at the next hearing.
“The lawyer also said the CMC will hold elections within a week,” the source said.
During the hearing, the lawyer claimed that the secretary of the ministry of IPC wanted to bring his own person as PCB chairman, leading to the beginning of a move to remove Ashraf.
“Anything can happen next week even though the Asia Cup launches in Multan on August 30,” the source said.
Normally, it is the Prime Minister who in his capacity as Patron in Chief of the PCB nominates candidates for the post of Chairman.
However, since Ramiz Raja was removed as Chairman in December last year, the board has been run by two back-to-back CMCs without an elected head.
Source: PTI News
