ISLAMABAD: A National Assembly panel on, Wednesday, expressed displeasure over the absence of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Rameez Raja from the meeting and directed him to show up to its next meeting to brief the members about the state-of-affairs of the PCB.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) met with Nawab Sher in the chair to get a briefing from the PCB chairman on overall performance and strategy to improve the national and international cricket.
However, the committee noted with grave concern the absence of the chairman PCB and directed him to ensure his presence in its meeting.
A representative of the PCB informed the committee that the chairman PCB conveyed his regrets from attending the meeting due to his prior urgent commitments in connection with the Pakistan Super League (PSL), however, he will attend the next meeting of the Standing Committee to brief the members.
While briefing on “The Prevention of Offences in Sports Bill, 2020”, moved by MNA Iqbal Mohammad Ali Khan, secretary [in-charge] Ministry of IPC Mohsin Mushtaq informed the committee that initially the matter was taken up with the Ministry of Law and Justice for legal opinion.
He said the Law Division opined that after the 18th amendment, the Parliament is no longer competent to legislate on the subject of sports and also advised to take up the matter with the Ministry of Interior.
Keeping in view the opinion of Law Division, he added that an internal committee was constituted which proposed the addition of a new chapter to the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860.
He said the IPC Ministry had already taken up the matter with the Interior Ministry and requested the committee to direct the ministry accordingly to furnish its comments in the matter.
On this, the committee directed the Interior Ministry to furnish the comments on “The Prevention of Offences in Sports Bill, 2020” to the panel in its next meeting.
The committee also considered the point of order raised by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in the National Assembly regarding worst condition of roads in his constituency. However, the mover did not attend the meeting due to some personal engagements.
In his response on the matter, the secretary IPC said the matter does not relate to the IPC Ministry.
On the request of Minister for IPC Dr Fehmida Mirza, the chairman referred the matter to the Standing Committee on Communications for further consideration and report.
The meeting was attended by Haji Imtiaz Ahmed Chaudhary, Robina Jamil, Munawara Bibi Baloch, Shaheen Naz Saifullah, Fakhar Zaman, Mehboob Shah, Gul Zafar Khan, Iqbal Mohammad Ali Khan, Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali Bhinder, Rasheed Ahmad Khan, Zulfiqar Ali Behan, Shahida Rehmani, Nasiba Channa, Syed Faizul Hassan, and Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021