PSB to go for intra-court appeal to defend Ganjera

KARACHI: Pakistan Sports Board’s (PSB) legal team is expected to go for intra-court appeal against the ruling of Lahore High Court (LHC), which the other day set aside the appointment of Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera as Director General of the Board.
“We are waiting for the detailed judgment of the court. Once we get it we will then sit with the top functionaries of the ministry of IPC and PSB and would decide about our future plan,” PSB legal advisor Irfanullah Khan told ‘The News’ on Sunday.
However, he was quick to add that they would go for the intra-court appeal, an option which they had at their disposal.
Meanwhile sources said that the LHC’s detailed judgment was expected to be released in a couple of days.
The secretary of the ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Mohammad Ijaz Chaudhry is in Australia to witness the cricket World Cup matches.
However a source said that he was expected to return soon and the matter will be discussed with him and the IPC minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada before taking any step.
Pirzada is in Bahawalpur and is expected to visit Islamabad on Monday (today), a source said.
Soon after the LHC’s order about Ganjera the other day, the petitioner’s legal counsel Haris Azmat had told this correspondent that as per court’s verdict, Ganjera could not continue working as DG PSB.
Sources added that after the court order, Ganjera has stopped working.
This is the first time that PSB has found itself in a strange situation when the appointment of its chief has been declared illegal by the court.
But Irfan is confident that the matter would be resolved soon.
“Although it depends on the court as how much time it will take to dispose off the case. But I hope it would be disposed off soon,” Irfan said.
If the case is prolonged then there are chances that the IPC would give charge to one of Board’s most senior Deputy Director Generals to serve as acting chief of the country’s top sports governing body.
In 2011, Ganjera had been elevated to the post of DG PSB Technical and Training, a seat which was specially created for the man who has a PhD degree from Australia.
The appointment raised many eyebrows at that time because a Director General was already heading the Board.
After the death of DG PSB Amir Hamza Gilani in February last year, Ganjera replaced him in May, 2014 as the lone DG of the Board with all powers including administrative and financial.