Football referees body election illegal, says former chairman

LAHORE: Former chairman of Pakistan Football Referees Association (PFRA) Qazi Asif has raised objections over the way the election of the PFRA is going to be conducted next month.

Asif has shown his reservations over the PFRA’s electoral procedure in a letter which he has written to the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalisation Committee chairman Haroon Malik and its copies have also been shared with both FIFA and the AFC. “It is to inform you that the PFF NC has issued a schedule of elections of the PFRA without consulting me which is illegal and unconstitutional procedure,” the letter said.

“PFRA is an independent body of referees affiliated with the PFF. PFRA has own registration procedure and election criteria. The PFRA Congress can decide and approve the elections schedule from district to PFRA and nomination of the Election Commission and chairman PFRA will issue the following election schedule and nominations:

“Names of election commission (five ex-referees names), election schedule from District FRA to Pakistan FRA, electoral procedure, voter list results of elections announced by the Election Commission,” it said.

“Now the PFF NC has issued its election schedule of the PFRA with bad and partial attention. If NC wants to conduct fair, free and transparent elections in Pakistan from DFA to PFF then NC will make an independent election commission for the PFF elections and contact with me for schedule of the PFRA elections and names of the Election Commission for PFRA elections,” the letter said.

“According to the PFF Statutes, PFF has no right to conduct the PFRA elections directly. The PFF can only provide assistance to the PFRA and also make referees committee with the consent of the chairman of PFRA,” the letter added.

“I am still last chairman of the PFRA and if any other person is accepted or treated as chairman PFRA that will be a wrong assumption and against your mandate given by FIFA,” the letter said.

“NC’s mandate is to run the PFF’s daily affairs; to ensure proper registration and scrutiny of the clubs in Pakistan; to draft and ratify with the assistance of FIFA and AFC an electoral code for the PFF; to organize and conduct elections at the district, provincial and PFF level,” it said.

“Only registered referees with PFRA have right to cast the vote as per following criteria: “(1) only active referees cast the vote; (2) only non-active referees can take part in the elections; (3) only non-active referees propose the names of the candidates who participate in that election; (4) active referees and coaches cannot participate in the elections (5)only ex-FIFA referee can contest the elections of chairman PFRA, (6) District Referees election: Only A and B grade referees of district (7) Province referee election: Only elected members from DRAs can cast the vote for provincial and regional referees elections. The duly elected ex-referees can call provincial/regional referees congress, (8) PFRA elections: Only elected members from PFRAs and DRAs can cast the vote for the PFRA elections,” the letter said.