Sindh High Court (SHC) bench on Thursday adjourned the hearing of constitutional petition filed by former cricket captain Shahid Khan Afridi till June 16. A court upheld a decision to revoke permission for former captain Shahid Afridi to play abroad. The division bench comprised Chief Justice SHC Justice Mushir Alam and Aqeel Ahmed Abbassi.
The PCB was represented by advocates Tafazzul Rizvi and Talib Rizvi who were of the view that the PCB chairman will also appear if required by the court. After the arguments by the respondents that the case did not lie in the jurisdiction of the court, the bench observed that initially the defendants had fully assured the court of all co-operation but later changed their stance.
The bench further maintained that the respondents should come up well prepared on the next date of hearing. While hearing the arguments of the petitioner's side the bench observed that it was the right of the petitioner to seek finanacial compensation, if any, from the defendant. The court was assured that the petitioner will attend the court on the next date of hearing.
It may be mentioned here that the petitioner, through his lawyers Ali Zafar and Mehmood Mandviwala, pleaded in his petition that all the recent decisions taken by the PCB were unconstitutional and unlawful including show cause notices and suspension of his NoC to play county cricket. The court had, on his plea, granted him interim relief on Tuesday last.
A large number of Afridi's fans gathered outside the court, holding up banners in support of the former star all-rounder. "Re-instate Afridi," said one. "Sack PCB chairman Ijaz Butt" and "Punishments against Afridi illegal", said two others. Much to the fans' disappointment, Afridi did show up at court. "We have come here in Afridi's support and feel that Pakistan cricket is incomplete without him," said Zaib Khan, a factory worker who skipped work to attend. On Tuesday, the Sindh high court ordered the PCB to adjourn a disciplinary committee meeting, before which Afridi was ordered to appear this week, and summoned PCB officials to appear in court on Thursday.