ISLAMABAD, Aug 12: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday expressed its inability to conduct election for the post of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a directive had asked the ECP to hold the election for the position of PCB chairman.

In the absence of the chief election commissioner, the four members of the ECP have decided not to get involved in the PCB affairs despite the directive from the IHC.

A senior ECP official told Dawn that the mandate of the ECP was clearly defined in the constitution, adding the commission could not go beyond that.

“Holding elections for the PCB or any other entity was not our role under the constitution,” the official said.

However, he said that getting involved in controversy-hit entity (PCB) could also land the election commission in similar kind of turf. “We should not be getting involved in every matter,” the official stated.

In mid July, the IHC had directed the ECP to conduct fresh elections for the post of PCB chairman by Oct 18, 2013.

The IHC judgement overruled all major decisions taken by the interim PCB chairman Najam Sethi, who took charge in June.

The judgment also called for changes in the PCB structure, which questioned the appointment of the selection committee as well as its financial and recruitment affairs.

The IHC had also said that the candidate competing for the post of chairman must be a former cricketer, a graduate and also comply with Article 62, 63 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Though the ECP has decided not to get into the election affairs of the PCB, the commission has yet not forwarded its decision to the IHC.