Key Takeaways
- The Islamabad High Court has suspended a Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) order requiring the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to disclose financial details.
- The PCB argued that the information sought extended beyond institutional transparency and involved personal financial details of identifiable individuals.
- The matter will be heard again on September 22, 2026.
The Islamabad High Court has suspended an order from the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) directing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to disclose its annual budgets, audit reports, and remuneration details of national players.
Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar issued notices to respondents for September 22, 2026, while taking up a writ petition filed by the PCB through Advocate Kashif Ali Malik.
The court stayed the operation of the PIC’s July 9 ruling until the next hearing. The PCB contended that the impugned order was passed in excess of jurisdiction and violated the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017.
The board argued that the information sought extended beyond institutional transparency to personal financial details of identifiable individuals without recognizing the distinction between institutional expenditure and private financial affairs.
Assistant Attorney General Asif Khan Jadoon appeared before the court. The PCB has faced persistent scrutiny over financial transparency since Chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s appointment in 2024, discontinuing the practice of posting detailed financial statements on its website.
The court allowed the PCB’s exemption application subject to all just and legal exceptions. The matter has been adjourned until September 22, 2026.
