August 26, 2007	Sunday	Sha’aban 12, 1428

LAHORE, Aug 25: The office of the Attorney General (AG) for Pakistan has expressed its regret over the frequent press statements of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf, claiming the new draft of the board’s constitution is being delayed by the office of the AG.

In a letter addressed to Zahid Usman, Director General (A), President’s Secretariat (Public) Aiwan-e-Sadr Islamabad on May 20, 2007, a copy of which was obtained by Dawn, the Attorney General’s Office had claimed that it did not issue a statement earlier to contradict the PCB because it would have shown the cricket board in a bad light.

“Reference your letter No. 1 (18) (A-II)05 dated May 19, 2007 addressed to the Attorney General of Pakistan, sending to him a copy of the latest draft constitution of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

“It is a matter of some regret that the chairman PCB has, over the past many months, issued a series of statement alleging that the PCB constitution is being delayed in the AG office. The constitution was not sent to the Attorney General for Pakistan for such comments.

“On one occasion when it was sent, the comments were communicated within 24 hours. A follow up meeting took place in which the chairman PCB agreed to have the draft amended,” the letter states.

“While reading such PCB statements in the press and viewing them on the electronic media, the Attorney General of Pakistan took exception to these but did not issue any statement contradicting the PCB because it would have shown up the board statements as false and would have caused embarrassment to the chairman PCB.

“Further, the Attorney General for Pakistan is not the legal advisor of the PCB and its chairman could not, therefore, have directly asked him to advise in the matter,” adds the letter.

When contacted the PCB media director Ahsan Hameed Malik refused to make any comment on the letter, saying it was a matter between the two offices (Attorney General’s and Aiwan Sadr).

“Since the Pakistan Cricket Board has not received such letter from any quarter we are unable to make any comment on it,” he said.

Though the media director was unable to explain where the constitution draft was at present, he assured that it would soon be implemented.