The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a response from former chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Zaka Ashraf to alleged embezzlement and illegal appointments in the PCB during his tenure. A two-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali resumed the hearing of a petition filed by the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Co-ordination (IPC), challenging May 17 Islamabad High Court judgement of reinstating Zaka Ashraf as the chairman PCB.
The court also sought a summary, which was submitted to the PCB's Patron-in-Chief - the prime minister - that resulted in the removal of Zaka Ashraf as PCB chairman. During the course of proceedings, Asma Jahangir, the counsel for the IPC, submitted a three-year audit report on alleged misappropriation and illegal recruitment by Zaka Ashraf during his tenure as PCB Chairman.
Asma said that there is evidence against Zaka which had not been revealed as it could badly damage the PCB's reputation internationally; to which Justice Saqib Nisar remarked that nothing should be kept secret and all evidence pertaining to the matter should be brought before the court. He said the court would endorse any move based on mala fide intentions.
Asma apprised the court that the PCB's elections for its new chairman were held during Zaka's tenure and resultantly he had been elected as chairman. She added that the election was challenged in the IHC, which barred Zaka from resuming the charge as chairman PCB on May 28, 2013 and the high court directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct the PCB elections within 90 days.
She told the court that the ECP informed the high court on October 21, 2013 that the ECP had no authority to conduct the elections as it did not fall in the jurisdiction of the ECP. The government has the authority to formulate the PCB's policy and is fully empowered to take action against PCB officials who do not acknowledge the policy, according to him. The court adjourned the proceedings of case till July 2.
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