Farhana Ayaz:Govt trying to resolve Aamir Sohail issue (25 Apr 1997)

25 April 1997

Govt trying to resolve Aamir Sohail issue

By Farhana Ayaz

ISLAMABAD, April 24: Efforts are underway at the government level to amicably resolve the dispute involving Pakistan's star opener Aamir Suhail and the Pakistan Cricket Board, a senior government official informed Dawn on Thursday.

A top government official got in touch with chairman PCB Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah Bokhari on Thursday morning, it was learnt. The PCB chairman assured the official that he would personally look into the matter to sort out the issue. The PCB chairman is scheduled to meet the Minister for Sports Mushahid Hussain on May 4. A severe two-year ban was slapped on the stylish cricketer by the disciplinary committee of the PCB, headed by Talat Ali, for implicating fellow team-mates in bribery and match-fixing.

The batsman had met Mushahid Hussain before appearing in front of the disciplinary committee. The opener had also given the Minister a file which carried all the details about the issue which he wanted to convey to the government, it was learnt. Talking to this correspondent on Thursday evening the Minister for Sports confirmed that such a file was given to him by Aamir Suhail. "We are trying to amicably resolve the issue," the Minister said.

When asked that the PCB constitution may not allow the interference of the government at any level, the Minister stated that no one was interfering with the constitution of the board. "It has become a national issue where the integrity of the country was being questioned; it is being debated by every wellwisher of cricket," Mushahid Hussain said.

It may be added here that a separate report on the issue has been prepared by the Ministry of Sports which carries different aspects of the controversy. It also gives the background of the 1994 disclosures by other players. However, the Ministry in its report has also sided with the disciplinarycommittee's action that since being the competent authority the batsman should have taken it into confidence. It is further added that the batsman may not have addressed the proper forum for remedy before blowing up the news to the Press. The report also mentions that after 1994, the batsman continued to be part of the same team and only came out with his story after a controversy with the PCB. The Government report also states that after the structure and constitution of former BCCP was changed to the present PCB, the Pakistan Sports Board is just an associate member of the PCB with no powers to control its action.

It is reportedly stated by the Government that although there is a dire need for an independent body to intervene and thoroughly investigate the matter but for that permission will have to be sought directly from the President of Pakistan, who is also the Patron of PCB with the sole authority of appointing the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Board. There is a feeling in cricket circles that the action against the opener was prejudical and as such the Government may think of finding an alternative solution; the PCB panel cannot be given a free hand, whatever may be its explanation.

Source:: Dawn (https://xiber.com/dawn/)