Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday reserved its verdict over a petition challenging the appointment of deputy election commissioner in Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the petition and reserved verdict after hearing the arguments.
Former Manager PCB Ahmad Nawaz Khan moved the petition through Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Mastoie Advocate and cited the Prime Minister, who is Patron-in-Chief of PCB, federation of Pakistan through secretary sports, secretary ministry of inter-provincial coordination, chairman PCB and Deputy Election Commissioner PCB Ahmed Shahzad Farooq Rana as respondents.
He stated that respondent No 5 (Ahmad Shahzad) has been continuously doing his job as acting deputy election commissioner PCB since 16th April 2014, while he is not eligible to retain the said post as according to rules and regulations of PCB, the same seat could be given to a retired judge of Supreme Court or High Court or any grade-22 officer.
The petitioner mentioned that recently eight retired judges were appointed in PCB at different posts and they were fully eligible for the said post. He contended there was no provision of acting election commissioner as contemplated in Article 29 of the constitution of PCB, adding the notification dated 13-2- 2015 was not approved by the patron-in-chief of PCB who is appointing authority of election commissioner of PCB.
He maintained that Secretary Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination had no jurisdiction to appoint PCB election commissioner or acting election commissioner in accordance with the provision of Article 29 of PCB constitution. He told the court that the Prime Minister of Pakistan as being patron-in-chief of PCB was the only appointing authority of chief election commissioner.
Therefore, he prayed to the court to de-notify the respondent No. 5 (Ahmad Shahzad) as acting deputy election commissioner of PCB and direct to appoint a retired judge of Supreme Court or high court or any grade-22 officer on this seat in order to meet the ends of justice.