ISLAMABAD, June 13: Zaka Ashraf, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, will not attend the annual general meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) scheduled in London later this month after the Islamabad High Court on Thursday further restrained him from functioning as the PCB chief till the disposal of the petition against his appointment.

An IHC bench comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui has directed the ministry of Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) to appoint an acting PCB chairman, fully qualified for the job and capable of representing the country at the forthcoming ICC annual meeting.

Justice Siddiqui on May 28 had restrained the PCB chairman from functioning after a petitioner Major (retired) Ahmad Nadeem Sadal had challenged the election of PCB chairman held on May 8.

The petitioner was represented in the court by Mian Abdur Rauf, while the PCB chairman was represented by advocates Imtiaz Rashid Siddiqui and Afnan Karim Kundi.

The legal counsel for PCB chairman argued before the court that the office of chairman consists of a chairman and board of governors. Zaka has been functioning as the PCB chairman since 2011 before the May 8 election.

He said that the dysfunctioning of the chairman could affect the performance of national team to which Justice Siddiqui observed that the PCB chairman was present in the match which Pakistan lost to South Africa.

The counsel for the PCB chairman further argued that there was no allegation of financial misappropriation against the chairman and he was not even receiving any salary for his work.

To this, the legal counsel for the petitioner said that they have neither alleged any financial misappropriation against the PCB chairman nor have they challenged his honesty. They have challenged his qualification for becoming the chairman.

The court inquired from the counsels who has been the chief executive of the PCB. Upon which the court was told that Subhan Ahmed is the chief operating officer (COO) of the cricket board. The court then suggested that Subhan may be appointed as the acting PCB chairman. Counsel for the petitioner then said that the PCB’s board of governors does not have powers to appoint any acting chairman.

The counsel for the PCB chairman argued that the representation of Pakistan at the ICC meeting is necessary otherwise it will create an embarrassing situation for the country.

The court then directed the IPC ministry to appoint an able man as acting chairman.

After issuing the above order, the court put off the matter until June 19.