NA body to grill NC’s members over delay in PFF elections

ISLAMABAD: The officials of the Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) Normalization Committee (NC) are expected to be grilled over failure to hold free and fair elections of the federation in accordance with the mandate given by the FIFA and the agreement reached with the Ministry for Inter-Provincial Coordination.

Agenda item No.5 in the May 10 meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee is to consider the matters of the PFF and action taken against the NC for delaying the elections under the guidelines of the FIFA and inquiry report on the participation of the federation in international events without NOC of the ministry.

It has been observed by the ministry that despite a clear instruction that has now virtually become a requirement, the NC has been sending teams abroad without government’s approval and knowledge.

The NC officials, who have been summoned to appear before the committee, will be asked to furnish their point of view on this gross negligence on their part.

“We are highly concerned about the repeated delay by the NC to hold free and fair elections and at the same time even more concerned over the NC’s gross violation of the laid down rules that require NOC from the ministry before embarking on any trip abroad.

According to the reports, NOC has not been applied or attained by the NC before sending the teams abroad. This practice is tantamount to serious violation and the disciplinary action must be initiated. All these issues and other matters relating to the NC’s working and performance will be discussed in the meeting,” a committee member, when contacted, said.

He expressed his surprise over what he called the unprecedented delay in making the PFF a truly democratic federation. “This is a situation that cannot be allowed to continue. The NC will have to abide by the law of land. We will question the ministry as to why no action has been taken so far against the NC and what measures the ministry is planning in this regard.” Minister for IPC Ehsanur Rehman Mazari has recently said that the ministry’s main objective was to ensure free and fair PFF’s elections and hand over the PFF to the elected body.

“We have no favourites. What we want is free and fair elections to see a genuine elected body in power. The PFF’s funds have already been blocked through the court orders. The rest is pending with the FIFA. We want release of funds in an effort to generate activities at all levels. The ministry has gone all out to help the NC get the Football House back in their possession. We would continue to support the NC to see an elected body in power as early as possible,” he said.

Other agenda items include briefing on the special Audit Report regarding the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) as recommended by the Standing Committee

Also on the agenda is to discuss the revival of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and an update on the committee meetings that included Akhtar Rasool, Shahnaz Shaikh, and Salahuddin.

Briefing by the Pakistan Olympic Association on its overall performance and consideration of the report of the ministry regarding the audit of international grants to POA and briefing by the Provincial Sports Secretaries for the revival of sports at schools/colleges and universities level are also agenda points.