Asghar, Aisam candidates for post of PTF president

KARACHI: Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Asghar Nawaz have emerged as the candidates for the position of President of Pakistan Tennis Federation for the term 2024-2028.

Asghar Nawaz, a retired major-general, has garnered the support of a number of affiliated units of PTF while Aisam is to announce his panel for the elections in a day or two. The nomination of Asghar Nawaz will be sent by one of the affiliated units of PTF while Aisam has told this scribe that he would soon announce details in this regard.

Meanwhile, Sindh Tennis Association, a key affiliated unit of PTF with three important votes under its influence, has still not decided who to support in the elections.

“We have not yet decided whom to support. We will have a meeting on Tuesday to discuss whether we will go with Asghar or Aisam,” said an official of Sindh Tennis Association while talking to ‘The News’.

According to the schedule of the elections, the last date of nominations is February 2 and the PTF will do the scrutiny of the candidates by the 5th and display the final list of the candidates by the 7th.

The elections will be held on February 10 to elect the President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Federation for the next term.

“The Chief Election Commissioner will be notified at the soonest, and POA and PSB nominee Representatives are being in, as per standard practice,” stated President PTF Salim Saifullah Khan in a notification.

The current PTF management has announced the elections after the lapse of more than one year of their tenure (which ended in November 2022) due to the pressure from Pakistan Olympics Association.

President PTF in the recently held Annual General Meeting of the federation clarified why they took so long to announce the elections. He informed the house that Pakistan Sports Board directed the PTF not to hold the elections till their further advice, in keeping with the orders of the Islamabad High Court.

“The affiliated units were informed through a letter on October 26, 2022 about the postponement of the elections. Until then, the present office bearers and management were to manage all affairs of PTF,” said President PTF.