PFA stakeholders urge Sadhana to hold transparent PFF elections [The Nation]

PFA stakeholders urge Sadhana to hold transparent PFF elections [The Nation]

LAHORE: The stakeholders of Punjab Football Association (PFA) have welcomed the appointment of Muneer Sadhana as Chairman of PFF Normalization Committee by FIFA with the hope that he will play his leading role to hold free and fair PFF elections. 

This was said during an urgent meeting of the PFA stakeholders held here to discuss the latest development in Pakistan football. The attendees also showed their deep concerns over the ongoing football club scrutiny process in some parts of the country. “The scrutiny of football clubs being carried out in some parts of the country is highly controversial, which was ordered by former PFF NC Chairman Hamza Khan, who had some personal agenda,” the participants claimed. 

They further said that such fake scrutiny process would not serve the country, rather it would deepen the crisis, so it must be stopped immediately. They also hoped that the new chairman of PFF NC will not only stop the one-sided scrutiny process at once, but will also cancel wherever biased scrutiny has been carried out in the recent days on the orders of Humza Khan. “We are of the view that Muneer Sadhana will soon pass the instructions to hold fair scrutiny process through neutral scrutiny committees which can help the country’s football move forward,” they added.

The PFA stakeholders, while appreciating the role of Muneer Sadhana as NC member, have expressed their high hopes for Sadhana to bring stability in the situation of football in Pakistan. “The recent five years have been detrimental for football in Pakistan. The formation of the PFF NC was taken very positively but on the interference of Zahir Shah/Ashfaque Hussain group and their alleged alliance with former Chairman Humza Khan, the whole setup become a perfect example of a failure,” they asserted. 

They said for the transparent elections, it is vital to replace Provincial/District NC members nominated on the recommendation of Zahir Shah/Ashfaq Group with neutral people. The participants also emphasized on holding the free and fair PFF elections according to the FIFA and PFF statutes and the 2015 election lists. 

The participants of the meeting also demanded an inquiry of the misuse of funds by Hamza Khan for his personal motives, which otherwise should have spent for the promotion of football in the country. They also expressed that Humza Khan and those who brought him as Chairman PFF NC are responsible for total destruction of football development initiatives taken during period from 2004 to 2015. 

Published in The Nation, 22 December 2020