Faisal group could face indictment

PFF dispute

KARACHI: Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) president Faisal Saleh Hayat and his close associates could face indictment in a contempt of court case which had been initiated against them for holding the federation’s elections on June 30, 2015, despite the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) stay order.

Sources who were present at the hearing at LHC on Tuesday said that there was chance that Faisal and his crew would be indicted in the case as the court on Tuesday instructed its staff to frame the charge-sheet.

The sources said that the June 1 hearing would be of immense importance in the case which is being heard by the LHC judge Farrukh Irfan.

The sources said that the court is also expected to announce results of a few other relevant matters in four days.

Afzal Khan appeared in the court for Faisal group, while Chaudhry Zulfiqar and Kalim Ilyas defended the group headed by Arshad Lodhi.

The PFF held its elections on June 30, 2015, at Changla Gali in which Faisal was re-elected as the PFF chief for the fourth successive time. The LHC had issued a stay order against the elections on June 29.

The PFF congress member and former health minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Syed Zahir Shah had been fielded to contest the election for the PFF presidency against Faisal. He stayed away from it following the court’s stay order.

Faisal’s rival group filed a contempt case in the LHC. Ultimately the LHC declared the June 30 elections null and void and appointed Justice Asad Muneer as administrator to conduct audit of the PFF and run its day-to-day affairs.

The root cause was the controversial election of Punjab Football Association (PFA) in late April 2015.

Following a series of complications the PFF imposed sanctions on 20 leading members of PFA. This infuriated Faisal’s rival group which held an extra-ordinary congress meeting in Islamabad which suspended Faisal and terminated secretary Col Ahmed Yar Lodhi.  Arshad Lodhi was made acting PFF president and Col Farasat acting secretary.