LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced that the elections for the top post will be held next week, on June 27.
The PCB said in a statement that the selection of the post of chairman will be held at its headquarters in Lahore.
The election schedule will be released after receiving the nomination papers from the departments and service institutions. The Commission’s office has also written to departments and service organizations to nominate their representatives.
Acting Chairman and Election Commissioner Ahmad Shahzad Farooq Rana said regarding PCB that “The election of PCB Chairman will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner while following proper procedures and following all legal regulations. will be ensured.”
The PCB had earlier announced that the polls would be held on June 28, but the date was changed to June 27 after the government declared a public holiday on Wednesday.
The date for the election was announced after the governing body of sports in Pakistan said that Rana had formed the PCB’s Board of Governors after the dissolution of the management committee. The Board was constituted “as per para 10 of PCB Constitution 2014” and as per the letter sent by the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) regarding the Management Committee.
Board members include Mohammad Zaka Ashraf and Mustafa Ramde nominated by PCB Patron Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, National Bank of Pakistan, State Bank of Pakistan, Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL), Sui Southern Gas Company. (SSGC), President Larkana Region, State President included. Dera Murad Jamali Region Sadar Bahawalpur Region and Sadar Hyderabad Region.
The post of PCB chairman was a point of contention between the ruling coalition parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
People’s Party wants former PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf to return to the post while Muslim League (N) wants now defunct Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi to continue his job in PCB.
The PPP’s position on this issue is that since its minister is the head of the inter-provincial liaison division and the PCB is related to the ministry, its chairman should be appointed by the party itself.
However, the way has now been cleared for PPP nominee Ashraf to return as PCB chairman as Sethi has withdrawn from the race.
Earlier this week, Sethi announced that he was not running for the post because he did not want to be a “bone of contention” between partners in the coalition government.
Describing the atmosphere of uncertainty and instability as unfavorable for the board, he said that he has decided to withdraw from the PCB chairmanship race.
On Tuesday, he tweeted that I don’t want to be the basis of controversy between Asif Zardari and Shahbaz Sharif.
