PFF suspends Farasat over ‘violation of discipline’

KARACHI: Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) Director Member Associations and Projects Col Farasat Ali Shah was on Tuesday handed a five-year suspension for violation of PFF code of conduct and discipline.
The PFF disciplinary committee directed the PFF to terminate his services.
“The disciplinary committee of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) met yesterday and found Farasat Ali Shah guilty of violating PFF code of ethics, code of conduct and discipline, following which the PFF disciplinary committee has suspended Farasat for five years from taking part in any football related activity,” the PFF said in a press release on Tuesday.
“The disciplinary committee has also directed PFF to terminate the services of Farasat as PFF Director MAs and Projects for violation of PFF code of ethics, code of conduct and discipline,” it added.
A PFF official told ‘The News’ that Farasat could appeal to the appeal committee within 15 days.
Col Farasat termed his suspension a mockery of justice.
“It is a mockery of justice. The decision was taken without listening to me,” Farasat told ‘The News’.
Farasat said he would seek justice from world football governing body (FIFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
“I cannot contest my case in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) because I don’t have enough resources but I will surely appeal to both FIFA and AFC in spite of the fact that Faisal Saleh Hayat is the chairman of the legal committee of the AFC, while his brother-in-law Nayyar Hasnain is the member of FIFA disciplinary committee,” Farasat said.
“Throughout my life I have stuck to principles and InshaAllah will return to football field soon,” Farasat conceded.
Farasat served PFF for five years and seven months. During his association with the PFF he served as Director Clubs and Director Member Associations and Projects.
He had been taking a salary of Rs60,000 per month, but has not been given salary for the month of April.
“My termination order is from May 4 but I have not been given salary for the month of April. When I enquired from the accounts branch I was told that Faisal has stopped my salary,” Farasat said.
“The type of ethics and code and conduct they are using in my case actually applies on them,” he said.
Farasat is the brother-in-law of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Football Association’s President Syed Zahir Ali Shah who is set to contest election for the PFF presidency on June 30 against the incumbent President Faisal Saleh Hayat who is going to contest for the fourth four-year term.
Farasat was recently issued show cause notices by the PFF twice for the bold stance he had taken while delivering his services as secretary of the electoral committee.
The election of Punjab Football Association (PFA) remained highly controversial as both Arshad Lodhi Group and Naved Haider Group claimed their victories on April 17 at FIFA secretariat in Lahore.
Farasat at that time maintained that no election had been held and that he had postponed it on the orders of Faisal Saleh Hayat. Farasat had also said that Arshad Lodhi Group had the majority.
But despite his stance, PFF notified the PFA result in which Naved Haider was declared as winner.
Farasat had also shared the real situation with the media that subsequently invited wrath from the PFF and the twin back-to-back show cause notices issued to him.
Balochistan Football Association (BFA) former President Jan Mohammad Marri, Captain Asif Ali (Railways) and Abdul Malik Khan (Karachi) are members of the PFF disciplinary committee.