Senate Committee recommends Butt's removal

In a serious turn of events, a Senate Committee recommended President Asif Ali Zardari to remove Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt from his post after finding him guilty in two privilege motions.

The Senate Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges took this step after moving two privilege motions in the day.

The first privilege motion was on Butt saying in February last year that he was not answerable to the Parliament but to the Ministry of Sports and Patron-in-Chief.

The second privilege motion, moved by Senators Haroon Khan and Tariq Azeem, said Butt on an occasion passed derogatory remarks not only against them but also against the whole Parliament.

Butt did not appear before the Senate Committee and informed that he has returned home last night from abroad and could not prepare himself.

Chairman of the committee Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi told reporters outside the Parliament House that they reviewed the two privilege motions and decided to recommend Zardari for Butt's removal.

"PCB chairman sought time to have a detailed look on the allegations against him, but he has already be given proper time to explain his position which he could not avail," he said.

Mashhadi said that the recommendations of the committee would be forwarded to PCB patron-in-chief and Zardari for the removal of Butt from his office through the Sports Minister Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani.

He said the committee has powers to remove any person who could not disprove allegations levelled against him.