The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has got a stay order against the directives by the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) to reveal details of its finances including audit reports, annual budgets and salaries and other perks given to players, coaches, selectors and officials. The Islamabad High Court on a petition filed by the PCB against the PIC order has suspended it until the next hearing on 22 September. The PCB went to the IHC after the PIC made it clear they had to disclose all financial dealings and details under the Right to Known Information Act 2017.
The PIC had issued the order to PCB on July 9.
A single-member bench of Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar issued notices to respondents for September 22, 2026, while taking up the writ petition filed by the PCB through advocate Kashif Ali Malik.
The PCB contended that the impugned order was passed in excess of jurisdiction and in violation of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017.
It argued that the Commission had failed to distinguish between information liable to proactive disclosure under Section 5 and information protected under statutory exemptions relating to personal privacy, confidential contractual arrangements, commercially sensitive data, and third-party interests.
The PCB argued that releasing personal financial details of identifiable individuals, without recognising the distinction between institutional transparency and private financial affairs was unjustified.
The board has faced persistent scrutiny over financial transparency and it has not uploaded any audit reports/financial statements on its website since 2024, a departure from previous norms that had drawn criticism from transparency advocates and prompted the underlying information requests.
Assistant Attorney General Asif Khan Jadoon also appeared before the court. The court also allowed the PCB’s exemption application subject to all just and legal exceptions.
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