PFF administrator withdraws Rs5.6m from accounts [Nation]

PFF administrator withdraws Rs5.6m from accounts [Nation]

LAHORE-Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) administrator Asad Munir, going against court orders, withdrew Rs 5.6 million from the PFF accounts, it has been learnt.

The sources said that the PFF administrator, instead of complying with the court orders issued on February 2, withdrew a substantial amount of Rs 5.6 million from the PFF accounts, HBL New Garden Town branch, Lahore on February 6, 2017. The court had directed Asad in its February 2 order to handover the PFF affairs to Faisal Saleh Hayat.

It is worth mentioning here that PFF funds consist of FIFA/AFC grants, which can only be utilised for the development of football and not for the personal and unauthorised expenses of the administrator.

The sources said: “This withdrawal of Rs 5.6 million by Asad from PFF accounts clearly speaks of his ill intent and corrupt and unethical practices, which can’t be expected from an administrator appointed by the Lahore High Court (LHC).”

“The news about this unethical act of Asad has spread to the entire football fraternity. Football enthusiasts and players have shown their serious concerns about the matter and described this act of Asad as malafide, unethical and illegal,” they said.

The sources further said: “Asad has already drawn a huge amount as salary from the PFF accounts as he was being paid Rs 450,000 monthly from PFF accounts since he was appointed 18 months ago. The football community of Pakistan has demanded that the LHC divisional bench take notice of Asad’s acts,” the sources said. During Asad’s appointment as PFF administrator, football activities remained completely halted except a fruitless PFF Cup competition last year, which only proved a burden on PFF accounts,” they added.

The sources said that finances in the PFF bank accounts were allocated by the international football governing body FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which are provided to the member associations of FIFA, solely for development of the game in the country.

“During Asad’s tenure as PFF administrator, he spent over Rs 25 million from the PFF accounts on unproductive things without adding anything to the football of Pakistan. Football suffered badly during his tenure, as no national or international activity took place and Pakistan’s national teams missed all international and domestic events,” the sources concluded.

Published in The Nation, 8 February 2017