Pakistan cricket delays election of a new chairman after court challenge

By Associated Press

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board was forced to postpone the election of a chairman scheduled for Tuesday after the formation of its board of governors was challenged in court.

The Baluchistan High Court on Monday accepted the petition of Gul Mohammad Kakar, a former member of the PCB management committee, and set a hearing for July 17.

“Following the interim order of the honourable High Court of Baluchistan, Tuesday afternoon’s election of the PCB chairman has been postponed,” the PCB said in a statement.

Before former chairman Najam Sethi dropped out of the election, he formed a 10-member board of governors that also included two direct nominees from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the PCB patron.

Acting chairman Ahmed Shehzad Farooq Rana, who is also the election commissioner, then changed several of the board of governors, prompting Kakar’s court challenge.

Representatives of bigger cities such as Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Peshawar were replaced by men from smaller cities such as Dera Murad Jamali, Hyderabad, Larkana and Bahawalpur. The governors elect the new chairman.

Two of the four departmental representatives were also changed.

With Sethi out, the favoured next chairman is a former holder of the office, Zaka Ashraf.

Ashraf was a direct nominee of the prime minister.

<br /> ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board was forced to postpone the election of a chairman scheduled for Tuesday after the formation of its board of governors was challenged in court.</p> <p>The Baluchistan High Court on Monday accepted the petition of Gul Mohammad Kakar, a former member of the PCB management committee, and set a hearing for July 17.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>“Following the interim order of the honourable High Court of Baluchistan, Tuesday afternoon’s election of the PCB chairman has been postponed,” the PCB said in a statement.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>Before former chairman Najam Sethi dropped out of the election, he formed a 10-member board of governors that also included two direct nominees from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the PCB patron.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Acting chairman Ahmed Shehzad Farooq Rana, who is also the election commissioner, then changed several of the board of governors, prompting Kakar’s court challenge.</p> <p>Representatives of bigger cities such as Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Peshawar were replaced by men from smaller cities such as Dera Murad Jamali, Hyderabad, Larkana and Bahawalpur. The governors elect the new chairman.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Two of the four departmental representatives were also changed.</p> <p>With Sethi out, the favoured next chairman is a former holder of the office, Zaka Ashraf.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Ashraf was a direct nominee of the prime minister.<br />