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Pakistan's Senate Committee on Privileges has recommended to President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) patron, Asif Ali Zardari, to remove PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt on charges that he maligned and questioned the credibility of some of its members on sports. Senator Tahir Mashadi, who heads the privileges committee, said that the committee gave its recommendations after finding Butt guilty in the two privilege motions moved by the senators. "The PCB chairman asked for more time to look into the allegations levelled against him. But the PCB chief was given enough time to explain his position which he could not," The Daily Times quoted Mashidi, as saying. "The committee found Ijaz guilty of breaching the privilege of the parliament and its members," he added. He further said that the recommendations of the committee would be forwarded to Zardari for Butt's removal from his office through Sports Minister Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani. In the first privilege motion, the PCB chief in February last year said in a statement that he was not answerable to the Parliament as the President is the patron and he was only answerable to him. The second privilege motion was moved by Senator Haroon Khan and Senator Tariq Azeem, in which both the senators were of the view that Butt on an occasion passed derogatory remarks not only against them, but also against the whole parliament. Mashadi had earlier said that the PCB chief would be given a fair opportunity to defend himself. "He will be questioned on why he tried to malign and question the credibility of some senators in the media," Mashadi had said. "If he is able to prove that he didn't breach the privileges of the Senators fine, but if he can't do this then he will be censured, a recommendation will be sent to the President and Prime Minister to remove him immediately and we will also move a privilege motion against him in the Senate," he added. He further pointed out that it was not the first time that Butt was facing such charges. Last year, some Senators had moved a privilege motion against him, but the matter was brushed under the carpet.

Pak Senate Committee recommends removal of PCB chief over inappropriate remarks