Islamabad High Court issues notices to PCB
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) yesterday issued notices to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a petition of cricketer Sharjeel Khan, challenging five-year ban imposed on him by the board.
A single bench of IHC, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq, conducted hearing of the petition moved by Sharjeel through his counsel Shaigan Ijaz Advocate. After issuing the notices , the court deferred the hearing till February 21 for further proceedings in this matter.
In his petition, he cited the Ministry of Law & Justice secretary, Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination secretary, PCB chairman, Independent Adjudicator NCA Lahore and PCB’s Anti-Corruption Tribunal chairman as respondents.
The counsel stated in the petition that petitioner Sharjeel is an international cricketer having made his debut for Pakistan in 2013 and he was charged by the PCB for committing violations of PCB’s Anti-Corruption Code under article 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.4.4. and 2.4.5.
He added that notice of demand was issued to the petitioner on February 13 under article 4.3 of the code to appear before PCB’s security and vigilance department on February 17, 2017. The petitioner’s so-called interview was conducted on the above-mentioned date. On February 18, 2017, notice of charge under article 4.6 was issued to the petitioner.
Shaigan told the court that the PCB respondent leveled charges against the petitioner but he denied all the charges and the matter was referred to PCB’s Anti-Corruption Tribunal. He said the tribunal announced its short order on August 30, 2017 wherein the petitioner was found guilty of committing the charged offences and five years ban was imposed on the petitioner.
The counsel continued that the petitioner by filing an appeal before independent adjudicator (respondent no 4) challenged detailed decision dated 08-09-2017 as well as the short-order dated 30-08-2017 wherein respondent no 4 vide his judgment dated 13-11-2017 dismissed appeal filed by the petitioner as well as the appeal filed by the PCB. He said the petitioner sought indulgence of this honorable court for setting aside decision dated 13-11-2017 passed by respondent no 4 and decision dated 08-09-2017.
Ijaz contended that impugned judgments have been passed in violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 4, 10-A, 18 and 25 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973. He argued that impugned orders dated 13-11-2017 and 08-09-2017 are result of miss-reading and non-reading of evidence and is liable to be set aside.
Therefore, he prayed to the court that the impugned decision dated 13-11-2017 passed by respondent no 4 as well as impugned decision dated 08-09-2017 to the extent of dismissal of appeal filed by the petitioner passed by respondent no 5 may kindly be set aside and resultantly, the sanction/period of ineligibility imposed on the petitioner may also be set aside and the appellant be acquitted/cleared of all the charges leveled against him.
He requested that the operation of impugned decisions dated 13-11-2017 and 08-09-2017 and the period of ineligibility imposed on the petitioner may kindly be suspended during pendency of the instant petition.
https://nation.com.pk/24-Jan-2018/islamabad-high-court-issues-notices-to-pcb
