ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday reserved its verdict in a matter related to the appointment of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.

A division bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Riaz Ahmad Khan and Justice Noor-ul-Haq N. Qureshi, reserved the judgment in Intra Court Appeals (ICAs) of federal ministry for inter-provincial coordination (IPC), former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, Lahore Cricket Club, PCB Board of Governors and retired Major Ahmad Nadeem Sadal after hearing arguments of appellants’ counsels.

An interesting situation emerged during the hearing when Asma Jehangir, counsel for the IPC, pressed for the validity of IPC Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) dated October 14, 2013 while Zaka Ashraf’s lawyer Afnan Karim Kundi told the court that the IPC had only shown the lower part of the SRO to the court without its upper portion where it was said that the IHC judgment would be implemented.

Asma requested the court to set aside the July 4 judgment of the IHC single bench and argued the judge had tried to go beyond his jurisdiction.

In the October 14, SRO NO 100 (1) / 2013, the federal government has repealed sections 28, 29, 30 and 31 with a substitution of section 41.

Section 41 reads, “The patron (Prime Minister), in the presence of sufficient evidence and being satisfied that grave financial irregularities exist in the board, may direct the federal government to supersede the board and constitute an interim management committee (IMC) comprising five members who may elect one of them to be the chairman.

“Provided that such supersession shall not remain in force for a period of more than ninety days unless extended by the patron for reasons to be recorded in writing.”

Asma told the court that if division bench suspended the July 4 judgment, the SRO would remain in field.

PCB’s counsel Tafazzul Rizvi contended before the court that government’s patronage of PCB affairs was necessary for organisation of cricket tournaments.

He said some petitioners were trying to harass IMC members by filing numerous petitions.

Regarding Najam Sethi, he claimed that he was a journalist who paid the highest tax in Pakistan and added that he and his wife had paid Rs30 million in taxes last year.

Advocate Mian Abdur Rauf said the Oct 29 order of the single bench was still in field under which PCB chairman and IMC should be treated suspended.

Meanwhile, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui adjourned the hearing of two separate writ petitions against Najam Sethi, one for initiating the contempt of court proceedings for violating the Oct 29 order of the IHC single bench that had suspended the IMC and its acting chairman Najam Sethi while the other was about awarding the broadcasting rights of South Africa and Sri Lanka series to Ten Sports and Geo Super.

The petitioner has said that Sethi in connivance with other members of the board had awarded the broadcasting rights by keeping the PTV Sports out of the bidding process and the court may direct the NAB to initiate inquiry into the matter.

Ahmed Nawaz Khan filed both the petitions.

Justice Siddiqui would hear these two petitions after decision of the ICAs by the division bench.