No immediate relief for Khalid

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Thursday denied batsman Khalid Latif immediate relief of staying proceedings before anti-corruption tribunal of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) against him on spot-fixing charges, however, sought replies from Ministry of Sports and the Board on his appeal.

The bench headed by Justice Shahid Karim was hearing an intra-court appeal (ICA) moved by Khalid challenging dismissal of his writ petition by a single bench and the proceedings of anti-corruption tribunal.

Representing the cricket player, advocate Zubair Khalid argued that the PCB’s anti-corruption tribunal had no jurisdiction to investigate the spot-fixing charges.

He said the tribunal constituted under the PCB anti-corruption code was illegal as its rules had not been notified in Pakistan gazette. The counsel further argued that the PCB chairman had no power to constitute the tribunal.

He said the petitioner had challenged the tribunal’s proceedings through a writ petition but a single bench dismissed the plea ignoring facts of the case.

The lawyer asked the bench to set aside decision of the singe bench and the proceedings against him pending before the anti-corruption tribunal of the PCB. As a interim relief, he also urged the bench to suspend the impugned proceedings before the PCB’s tribunal till final decision of the ICA.

However, the bench turned down the request and sought replies from the federal government and the PCB by June 13.

Latif and four other players had been charged for breaching the PCB’s anti-corruption code during the recent Pakistan Super League (PSL) held in Dubai.

Source: Dawn