ISLAMABAD: Dozens of sympathisers of Zaka Ashraf staged a protest demonstration in front of the National Press Club here against his removal from the post of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.

Protesters, led by former cricket convenor for Rawalpindi district Qaisar Mirdad and Arbab Altaf, chanted slogans against two senior journalists — Najam Sethi and Shakil Shaikh for holding key posts in the PCB.

Zaka had been stopped by the Supreme Court last week from taking charge as the PCB chairman.

“They [Sethi and Shakil] are illegally holding key posts in PCB,” said Altaf.

The protesters chanted slogans against both senior journalists and even symbolically beat the effigy of Shakil Shaikh, who is member of the management committee.

They introduced themselves as cricket lovers and claimed that they had been staging protest demonstrations for improvement of cricket, which according to them, has gone into the wrong hands.

However Dawn has learnt that many of them had links with Zaka as they had served in the Rawalpindi Cricket Association during his tenure.

The protesters demanded the government to reinstate all the PCB employees who were sacked by incumbent chairman Sethi and immediately restore Zaka to his post.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2014