KARACHI, June 2: Saleh Mohammad, a former national snooker champion, has landed in trouble following a petition filed against him in the Sindh High Court (SHC) for verifying his nationality as he represented Afghanistan at Doha Asian Games last year and now set to appear for Pakistan in the 23rd Asian Snooker Championship which begins in the city from June 11.

Five others who have been made respondents in the case are Secretary Interior, the FIA, Secretary Sports, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA).

The constitutional petition CP D-1174 of 2007, under Article 199 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, was filed by one Javed Akhtar, son of Zubair Ahmed, proprietor of a local Time Snooker Parlour, through advocate Kazi Abdul Hameed Siddiqui.

In the first quarter of 2006, the petitioner said, Saleh left for Afghanistan where he was accorded the citizenship and subsequently he (Saleh) represented Afghanistan in the 15th Asian Games.

Continuing, the petitioner pointed out on April 23, 2007, he came to know through a newspaper that the cueist has returned to Pakistan and the PBSA, instead of taking a disciplinary action against him for the violation of code of conduct, gifted Saleh with a wildcard entry in the upcoming Asian meet.

The petitioner further said having been aggrieved by the decision he immediately sent a legal notice to the PBSA but, he added, it was futile as the body was adamant for including Saleh in the team.

A complaint was also filed with the FIA besides sending e-mails to secretaries of Interior and Sports and other state functionaries.

He pleaded it was a mandatory duty of the Interior Ministry and that of the FIA to investigate the status of the nationality of Saleh and as to how he was able to represent Afghanistan at the Doha Asian Games. By doing this he violated the Pakistan Citizenship Act 1952 and Pakistan Citizenship Rules 1952 specially rule 19-B.

The petitioner prayed that respondent No 1 (Secretary Interior) and respondent No 2 (FIA) be directed to thoroughly investigate the status of Saleh as a citizen of Pakistan and as to how he (Saleh) managed to become a citizen of Afghanistan and again managed to become a citizen of Pakistan and submit details as soon as possible.

He further prayed that respondent No 1 and 2 be directed to investigate as to how Saleh managed to represent Afghanistan in Asian Games if he was a citizen of Pakistan and act in accordance with the law if the cueist is found guilty.

He prayed to direct the PBSA to prove as to any power enjoyed by them for pardoning without due process of the law any sportsmen for having committed violation of rules thereof and the laws of the land and in absence of this power, the cueist may be restrained perpetually for acting in a manner which defeats the national interest and the laws of the land.