Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar has altered the administrative dynamics of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by putting it under the control of the Cabinet Division.
According to an official notification, the PCB would now fall under the purview of the Cabinet Division instead of the Ministry for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC).
The notification outlined that the PCB would henceforth operate directly under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister’s Office, eliminating its accountability to the IPC ministry.
This restructuring challenged the existing framework established by PCB’s 2014 Constitution, which designated the IPC ministry as the sole intermediary between the Prime Minister and the cricket board.
Establishing a direct link between the two has been deemed as an unconstitutional act.
To address potential concerns, the secretary of the IPC ministry has been appointed to the PCB Board of Governors. This inclusion aimed to ensure that the Ministry stayed informed and remained in the loop regarding all developments within the PCB.
The ramifications of this shift raise questions about the accountability of the PCB to the National Assembly/Senate or Standing Committees. The altered arrangement left it uncertain as to who would be responsible for providing information on the PCB’s operations to these legislative bodies.
For an extended duration, the PCB had been answerable to the IPC ministry. However, this recent adjustment signaled a departure from the established norm.
The impact of this change on the efficiency and operations of the PCB remains to be seen, with opinions divided on whether it would streamline processes or introduce additional challenges.
With the Prime Minister serving as the Patron of the board, this restructuring granted them a direct influence over the PCB’s functioning, adding a layer of responsibility to their role.
