LAHORE, Oct 4: Controversial former Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) secretary Arshad Lodhi was one of the 13 executive committee members elected on Thursday amid arguments at the polls after court suspended 10-year ban slapped on him by the federation for misconduct.
He was a nominee from Punjab along with Salahuddin Dogar from the PFA and both were elected executive committee members.
The PFF had banned Arshad for issuing press statements against the PFF and its chief Faisal Saleh Hayat. He had accused Faisal of nepotism and making changes to the PFF constitution to serve his vested interest.
The federation on July 10 had categorically stated that “Arshad is a one man demolition squad whereby he has deliberately tried to undermine the record and phenomenal achievements of the PFF and its various bodies/units over the past four years.”
“He and his colleagues have failed to uphold the values of discipline and spirit of the game and tried to hold the entire body of PFF hostage to their personal whims and interests. This state of mind of Arshad Lodhi and his colleagues render them liable to the strictest of disciplinary actions,” PFF had said in a July statement.
Arshad had moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the ban. On Wednesday, LHC judge Tariq Shamim suspended the ban till further order, allowing Arshad to attend the PFF’s election meeting.
However, it seems the issue has not been settled and there is more chaos in store as sources said Arshad again criticised the PFF during the meeting for imposing a ban on him.
He also objected over the formation of the PFF disciplinary committee. He claimed that committee didn’t give him chance to give his version. He also objected that the disciplinary committee was incomplete since it had no vice-chairman and required number of the members.
Sources further said Arshad challenged the PFF that he would prove before the court that ban had been unconstitutional and illegal.
Sources said the PFF president Faisal Saleh Hayat confronted Arshad, objecting that why he moved court instead of settling down the issues within the federation. Arshad replied that he went to court after filing appeals to the PFF, Asian Football Confederation and FIFA.
Meanwhile, as Faisal has already been elected as president, the 21-member Congress elected two vice-presidents and one senior vice-president, besides the executive committee.
Newly-elected office-bearers:
President: Faisal Saleh Hayat.
Senior vice-president: Zahir Ali Shah (NWFP).
Vice-president: Khadim Ali Shah (Sindh), Naseebullah Khan Bazai
(Balochistan).
Members: Ghulam Abbas, Abdul Malik (Sindh), Saeed Khan, Fazal Elahi (NWFP), Jan Mari, Ayaz Zahoor (Balochistan), Arshad Lodhi, Salahuddin Doogar (Punjab), Irfan Gohar (Pakistan Railways), Col Rana Shujaat Ali (Army), Talat Khursheed (Higher Education Commission), Women Wing’s Robina Irfan (Balochistan) and Sadia Shiekh (Karachi).