Following Zaka Ashraf’s resignation, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will most likely nominate a new chairman. It would not be surprising if Najam Sethi, whom Ashraf succeeded in July, became the next leader.
Recent political events in the country may be to blame for the PCB’s potential leadership transition. The present administration, led by Shehbaz Sharif, became a caretaker administration on August 9, which also happened to be the official day that the elections were announced.
Furthermore, the nation’s election commission met with the administration and advised the annulment of all political appointments in order to ensure a fair and unbiased elections process. The Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) recognized Ashraf as one of these political appointments in a subsequent email exchange with the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary.
An IPC note noted, “Reference: Election Commission of Pakistan 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).”
To ensure that all heads of institutions nominated on a political basis immediately resigned, in accordance with paragraph (g) of the notification ibid., and to send all such cases to the commission for approval of termination or other action.
Please analyze the following two Ministry of IPC scenarios and provide the following orders:
(i) Mr. Zaka Ashraf (PPP), chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s governing body.
(ii) Chairman of the Federation Land Commission (sic), Peer Syed Ahmed Nawaz Shah (PPP).”
The IPC’s secretary, Ahmad Hanif Orzakai, signed the letter, which Cricbuzz witnessed.
Historically, political appointments have been made to the PCB chairmanship. But it was an even more remarkable turn of events in Ashraf’s case. He succeeded Sethi because the Pakistan People’s Party insisted on selecting their nominee for PCB chairman based on their power over the federal minister of sports. As a result, Ashraf was appointed as the PCB’s new leader.
