Islamabad HC ends PCB's constitutional crisis

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday rejected objections to the Pakistani cricket board's new constitution, saving the sport of another administrative crisis after a previous 14-month leadership struggle.

The court reportedly rejected a petition, which raised objections that the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) newly implemented constitution was drafted without consultation by some stakeholders.

Justice Athar Minallah said in his judgement that the four petitioners' objection on the constitution was rejected as they tried to mislead the court by concealing facts, The Dawn reported.

The four petitioners -Nadeem Sadal, Mohammad Rafiq, Aamir Nawab and Ameer Haider, who are all either cricket officials or former local players- have been fined one million rupees each which will be paid to the PCB.

It was also Sadal's petition in May last year that led to then PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf's suspension after the Islamabad high court termed his election dubious, with the judgement triggering a prolonged tussle over the leadership, which saw Ashraf and Najam Sethi changing hands for the PCB chairmanship five times.

The Supreme Court ordered the PCB in July this year to implement the new constitution under which the board of governors would elect a new chairman, a system deemed to be fairer than the previous selection process.

Former diplomat Shahryar Khan was elected as the PCB chairman last month under the new constitution, his second tenure after he served as chairman between 2003 and 2006, the report added.