| Butt's 'challenge' irks senators |
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| Written by Harris Badar | |
| Friday, 20 March 2009 | |
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src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> A couple of senators contacted by 'The News' confirmed that such a letter has been received at the office of the Senate chairman with one of them commenting that the latest move by Butt was "unbelievable and laughable". Senator Tahir Mashhadi, a member of the Senate's previous sports committee, said that Butt is seemingly unaware of the powers of the Senate. "Mr Butt has done nothing right since taking over as PCB chairman," said Mashhadi. "Now we've heard that he has written a letter challenging Senate's authority. He will be told about it as soon as Senate's proceedings resume," he added. KARACHI: Pakistan's cricket chief Ijaz Butt seems to have landed himself in hot waters again by writing a letter to Senate chairman Farooq H Naek, challenging the Senate's authority to probe national cricket affairs. A couple of senators contacted by 'The News' confirmed that such a letter has been received at the office of the Senate chairman with one of them commenting that the latest move by Butt was "unbelievable and laughable". Senator Tahir Mashhadi, a member of the Senate's previous sports committee, said that Butt is seemingly unaware of the powers of the Senate. "Mr Butt has done nothing right since taking over as PCB chairman," said Mashhadi. "Now we've heard that he has written a letter challenging Senate's authority. He will be told about it as soon as Senate's proceedings resume," he added. When contacted by this correspondent, Latif Khosa - the Attorney General of Pakistan - made it clear that the Parliament has every right to summon and investigate any organisation or individual which it deems necessary. "Senate being a part of the Parliament can carry out its investigation," said Khosa. "I'm yet to be approached by the Senate on any such letter (from the PCB), but if my legal opinion is sought over this matter I would say that Senate has every authority to carry out a probe (into national cricket affairs)," he added. Butt, a former Pakistan Test opener, is already facing a privilege motion filed against him by five Senators last month. The motion was filed after Butt told a press conference in Lahore that the Senate's sports committee should not cross limits. The committee has been probing national cricket affairs for quite a long time and in a meeting last month rejected the present PCB management as incompetent and recommended to President Asif Zardari - the Board's chief patron - that a new set-up should be appointed to run Pakistan cricket. Mashhadi, who is likely to be retained as chairman of Senate's committee on Rules of Procedure and Privilege, said that the proceedings of the privilege motion filed against the PCB chief will begin once the Senate sessions begin from April 15. According to the procedure, the Senate's committee on Rules of Procedure and Privilege will summon Butt to hear his side of the story, besides carrying out a hearing with the five Senators who had filed the privilege motion last month. If Butt is proven guilty of breaching the privilege of the Senate then he would be asked to apologize. "Senate is the upper house of the Parliament which is the supreme authority according to the constitution," said Mashhadi. "Any individual found guilty of breaching its privilege can even be tried for sedition," he stressed. |
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