PCB rejects threats to confiscate national team’s equipment in England

The company that won the lawsuit against NAB in England has threatened to confiscate the equipment of Pakistan cricket team but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has rejected these reports and threats.

Broadsheet LLC, the company that won the lawsuit from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), had threatened to seize Pakistan Cricket’s assets in England.

The lawyer for Broadsheet LLC, the company that won the lawsuit against the NAB, said in a letter that Pakistan and the NAB had failed to pay more than $33 million in damages after losing the lawsuit. The cricket team’s assets have been ordered to be confiscated and the process will begin in two days.

In this regard, Pakistani lawyers were asked to respond to the letter immediately if they disagreed with the position, otherwise, the company would be justified in putting the threat into practice.

According to the reports, the PCB says they are in touch with the Pakistani embassy in England and confiscation of the equipment is unlikely to happen.

Pakistan Cricket Board says that the Pakistan team is a representative of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the board is an independent body rather than a government of Pakistan or the state, so it is responsible for paying damages in this matter.

It may be recalled that during the tenure of former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, the professional services of Broadsheet LLC were obtained to trace the assets of 200 Pakistanis in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Interestingly, in all these operations, Asif Ali Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif and Lt. Gen. Akbar were specifically targeted as 20% of the money received from the targets set under the agreement would be paid to the company. No evidence was found against them, and no money was recovered from the UK.

The agreement was signed by the National Accountability Office, which was cancelled in 2003, and the cancellation of the agreement caused controversy, after which the matter went to court and the International Arbitration Court ruled in favour of the British company.

The court had said in its judgment that NAB was bound to pay compensation to the company.

The letter was written by the Broadsheet Company to Allen & Overy because the company was representing the Government of Pakistan and the NAB in the lawsuit.

Reports stated that the Pakistan Cricket Board has nothing to do with the issue of mediation and recovery of damages of Broadsheet LLC and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the NAB.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistan Cricket Board was established as a corporate body under the 1962 Ordinance which has special powers over the administration, management and promotion of the game of cricket in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board operates under its constitution as an independent body which is independent of the jurisdiction of the government and generates its own revenue and does not receive any assistance from the provincial or federal government in this regard.

The Pakistan team is in England for a series of three Tests and three T20 matches and the series will start on August 5 with a Test match in Manchester.

Also Read

‘Int’l teams want matches to be played in Pakistan’, PCB CEO Wasim Khan

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO Wasim Khan said on Saturday that sending...