Sports journalists filed a petition with the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday, challenging the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to restrict their access to cricket matches.

Ayaz Akbar, Mohsin Ali, Husnain Liaqat, Naveed Gulzar, and Ahmer Najib submitted the application through advocate Abdul Waheed Qureshi. It names the federal government, the prime minister as the patron-in-chief, the cabinet secretary, and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, as respondents.

IHC judge Justice Babar Sattar would hear the case on Wednesday (tomorrow).

In the petition, the journalists have argued that the PCB cannot impose restrictions on their coverage “solely based on criticism.” They maintained that as reporters and anchorpersons, they were performing their journalistic duties and the PCB’s decision to bar them from covering the first Test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh was a “violation of their right to freedom of expression under Articles 19 and 19-A of the Constitution.”

It said: “Verbal refusal for issuance of accreditation passes is illegal, malafide without law full authority, without jurisdiction and nullity in the eye of law.”

The journalists have urged the court to intervene and ensure that they are allowed to carry out their journalistic duties without any undue restrictions.

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Journalists have stated that they have covered numerous national and international competitions, including multiple World Cups, World T20s, and Champions Trophies. But the PCB has deprived them of their constitutional right to coverage.

“It is, further prayed that in the meanwhile the respondents may be directed to allow media coverage of the Cricket Match/series to the petitioners in accordance with the law in the best interest of justice,” it said.