![PFF, AFP included as PSB unveils reconstituted Board [The News]](https://footballpakistan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/PSB-logo.jpg "PFF, AFP included as PSB unveils reconstituted Board [The News]"){kind=logo}
KARACHI: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) have been included as Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) on Tuesday unveiled the new composition of the PSB Board.
The new PSB Board comprises 11 members. It will be headed by the minister of IPC as president, with the Secretary IPC to act as vice-president and the PSB Director General who also will serve as both member and secretary.
The other members include chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC), presidents/secretaries of PFF and AFP, President Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), President/Secretary Services Control Board, renowned businessman Aqeel Karim Dhedhi, Managing Director NESPAK or his nominee but not less than Grade-20 Officer or equivalent and chairman Novamed Pharmaceuticals Lahore Shafiq Ahmed Abbasi.
The big issue is that PFF has been struggling for the last five years and now FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee is acting. The world body has given NC the mandate until December 31 this year to hold elections. And there is every possibility that elections might not be held as there are numerous issues.
As the Board members can act for two years as per rules any other Olympic Sports Federation could have been included in place of PFF.
The other issue of the PFF is that former PFF president Faisal Saleh Hayat had dissociated his federation from the PSB and if he or his party is elected then again the PSB will have to face issues.
The inclusion of the AFP has also raised many eyebrows. Sources said that AFP exists everywhere during the last few years.
The PSB senior official Mohammad Azam Dar told ‘The News’ that the Board’s tenure is two years.
“Constitutionally its tenure is two years,” Dar said.
Previously the PSB Board had 85 members and then were reduced to 37 and now it has been further reduced.
When asked that for the last few years no Board meeting has been held Dar said previously it was very difficult to convene meeting of such a bulky body but now this would not be an issue.
“I think convening a meeting of the 11-member Board will not be a problem now,” he said.
“We are trying to strengthen the legal framework of the Board and the minister IPC Dr Fehmida Mirza is very keen to sort out major issues. Soon a meeting of the Board will be convened which will also be the solid platform to discuss the sports policy for whose reviews a committee has already been constituted,” he said. “We have also issued a circular to all the members.”
Dar added that the POA and national federations also should amend their constitutions and give representation to the PSB in their bodies so that sports could be run with more cohesion.
“They invite us to their meetings only when they need finances. The PSB finances sports and federations get the credit,” Dar said.
When he was asked that certain people have raised objections over the inclusion of the PFF and the AFP in the PSB Board, Dar said: “Let them criticise.”
“Football is a big sport. And if any issues come in future, those could be tackled,” Dar said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the five-member PSB Executive Committee mostly has ex-officio members and no representation has been given to POA and federations.