Cabinet Allows PCB to Appoint Retired Senior Bureaucrats

The federal cabinet has allowed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to appoint retired BS-21 Civil Servants as Election Commissioners to improve governance and overall betterment of cricket in Pakistan. Sources said that the cabinet has relaxed the eligibility criteria for the appointment of the PCB’s Election Commissioner. Previously, the PCB Constitution (2014) allowed only former judges of the Supreme Court or High Courts, those eligible to become such judges, or retired civil servants in Basic Scale (BS) 22 or higher to hold the post. According to the PCB, these narrow criteria have severely restricted the candidate pool, making it difficult to identify suitable and independent individuals for the position. The amendment, approved at the CCLC’s meeting on July 24, 2025, now expands the eligibility to include retired BS-21 officers as well. “A person shall not be qualified to be appointed as Election Commissioner unless he is a former judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan or a High Court, or a person qualified to be a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan or High Court, or a person who has retired from government service in BS-21 or BS-22, or equivalent.” The proposed change was initiated by the PCB, vetted by the Law and Justice Division, and submitted for cabinet approval under Rule 17(1)(c) of the Rules of Business, 1973. It is pertinent to note that the Pakistan Cricket Board is the sole governing body for the sport of cricket in Pakistan, which was established by the Federal Government under the Sports (Development and Control) Ordinance 1962, as a body corporate having perpetual succession.