Supreme Court hints at holding PFF elections very soon, summons Faisal [Dawn]

by Nasir Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday dropped hints of holding the elections of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) after conducting fresh polls to elect office-bearers of the Punjab Football Association (PFA).

“The broader agreement between the parties concede holding of the fresh elections,” Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed while hearing the petition disputing the elections of PFF held in 2013.

The apex court also summoned PFF president Faisal Saleh Hayat for Tuesday when senior counsel representing the PFF Advocate Afzal Khan said he needed instructions from his client (Faisal Saleh Hayat).

The court that had taken up the petition of Rana Mohammad Arshad, president PFA and Arshad Khan Lodhi also suggested appointing senior counsel Ali Raza as in-charge to oversee the entire election process of the football association.

The petitioners had alleged that the elections of June 30, 2013 were a sham election and therefore illegal, warranting holding of fresh elections.

During the hearing the court also regretted that the disputes like such had adversely damage the prestige of the country adding the controversies like these erupted because huge funds were involved in the matter.

Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed regretted that at stake in the current matter was the honour of Pakistan also regretting how FIFA had imposed a ban on Pakistan in 2017.

Later, Chaudhry Zulfikar Ali representing the petitioners told Dawn that the PFF was affiliated with FIFA and the Pakistan Olympic Association as well as the Pakistan Sports Board adding despite the law that no individual can be elected for the third time as PFF president Faisal Saleh Hayat got himself elected for the third time in 2013.

Similarly, he got his Director Marketing Sardar Naveed as the president of the PFA though it was stayed by the Lahore High Court through its order of June 26, 2015.

Despite the suspension order, Chaudhry Ali said, allegedly a ghost election was held on June 30, 2015 in Changla Gali, Abbottabad. But the high court appointed retired Justice Asad Munir as administrator. The case will be taken up again on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2018