Legal issues sees PCB plunge into further uncertainty

Clouds of uncertainty continued to hover over Pakistan cricket with the Election Commission now contemplating to challenge the judgment of Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordering them to conduct elections for the post of PCB chairman in the Supreme Court.

According to sources, the Election Commission reviewed the orders by the IHC judge, Shaukat Siddiqui on Tuesday, directing them to conduct elections for the PCB Chairman's post on November 2nd.

"The ECP has reached the conclusion that under the constitution of the country it is only duty bound to fulfill five responsibilities and this does not include conducting elections of the cricket board," the source said.

He said the ECP would in a few days most likely challenge the IHC orders in the higher court which could immediately lead to a suspension of the PCB elections on November 2.

The Islamabad High Court on Monday passed an order that the elections for the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board must be held on Nov 2nd.

In another development, the Pakistan Cricket Board has filed an intra court appeal against the IHC judgment in July which had restrained the acting Chairman, Najam Sethi from exercising his full powers in the board.

The legal advisor of the board, Tafazzul Rizvi told PTI that a date had finally been given for the hearing of the intra court appeal which was October 29.

"Our appeal which challenges many facets of the IHC judgment given in July will now be heard by a two member bench on October 29," he said.

A few days ago Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif had, under amendments made in the PCB constitution, appointed a interim management committee to run cricket affairs in the country for the next three months.

Pakistan cricket administration and affairs has been in a state of turmoil and uncertainty since the IHC judgment in July which basically stripped interim chairman Najam Sethi of all his orders.

Rizvi said that the board had also challenged several clauses of the IHC judgment in its intra court appeal one of them being the move to restrict powers of the Chairman and also conditions set by the IHC that only former test or first class players can contest the PCB elections.

Photograph: pcb.com.pk