Zaka Ashraf


Chaudhry Muhammad Zaka Ashraf is a Pakistani executive who was the president of the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited. He was appointed chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board on 15 October 2011 by the President of Pakistan and took the charge on 27 October 2011. However, on 10 February 2014, the Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif dissolved the PCB governing board and sacked him for the chairmanship of PCB. In August 2012, has been elected as chairman Development Committee of Asian Cricket Council.
He also served as Adviser to the Chief Minister of Sindh from 1988 to 1990. He is member of the Central Executive Committee of Pakistan People's party. He is brother of Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Pakistan Muslim League MNA on reserved seat. As a head of ZTBL, he promoted the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd Cricket Team, who performed very well in domestic cricket matches.
Zaka Ashraf belongs to a traditional Gujjar family of Punjab. After passing out from Cadet College Petaro, he took his bachelor's degree, and then joined his father in his business.
He has had a career in business ever since. Over the years, he has become the Chairman of the Ashraf Group and Ashraf Sugar Mills, Bahawalpur, both of which had been established by his father.

Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board

Suspension by the Court

The Islamabad High Court stopped Zaka Ashraf from working as Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman on the petition of that the election of Zaka as PCB chairman was malafide by the former coach of Pakistan Army Cricket team. Moreover, the IHC had barred him from performing his duties on the grounds that the process of his election was not transparent. On 24 June 2013, the case adjourned till further notice.

Re-Appointment

The Islamabad High Court reinstated Zaka Ashraf as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board on 15 January 2014. The decision to reinstate Ashraf was taken by a two-member division bench consisting of Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi and Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan. The court accepted the intra-court appeal against the decision by a single-member bench of IHC consisting of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui. On 19 July 2013, the Islamabad High Court had declared the appointment of Ashraf "illegal" and directed the acting PCB chief Najam Sethi to hold elections within 90 days.

Education

Ashraf is an alumnus of the Sadiq Public School, Bahwalpur, and the Cadet College Petaro.