The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to elect a new chairman after Zaka Ashraf’s removal. It wouldn’t be shocking if Najam Sethi, whom Ashraf had replaced in July, ended up being the next leader.
Recent political events in the nation may be to blame for this prospective leadership transition at the PCB. On August 9, which also happened to be the official day that the elections were officially announced, the current administration, led by Shehbaz Sharif, became a caretaker administration.
Additionally, it has been revealed that the nation’s election commission spoke with the administration and urged the cancellation of all political appointments in order to guarantee a fair and impartial electoral process. In a subsequent email exchange with the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) named Ashraf as one of these political appointees.
Referring to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s letter No. F-2(1)2023-Coord-vol dated August 15, 2023, and Guidelines Notification No. 2 (1)/2023-Coord dated August 15, 2023 (Annex 1), an IPC note stated, “Reference:
To guarantee that all heads of institutions who were appointed on a political basis immediately terminated their employment, in accordance with paragraph (g) of the notification ibid., and to refer all such cases to the commission for approval of termination or other action.
Please evaluate the following two situations involving the Ministry of IPC and issue the following orders:
(i) Mr. Zaka Ashraf (PPP), head of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s managing committee
(ii) Federation Land Commission (sic) Chairman Peer Syed Ahmed Nawaz Shah (PPP).”
Ahmad Hanif Orzakai, the IPC’s secretary, put his signature on the letter, which Cricbuzz saw.
Political appointments have historically been made to the PCB chairman position. It was an even more astonishing turn of events in Ashraf’s situation, though. He succeeded Sethi because the Pakistan People’s Party insisted that their candidate for the PCB chairman position be selected in light of their influence over the federal minister of sports. As a result, Ashraf became the PCB’s new leader.
