PCF president defends federation’s legitimacy

LAHORE: Pakistan Cycling Federation (PCF) President Syed Azhar Ali Shah has strongly contested recent claims regarding the federation’s leadership and organization of major cycling events in the country.

In a detailed statement, Shah rejected the claim made in an article that Idris Haider Khwaja and Moazzam Khan had been elected as PCF’s President and General Secretary. He emphasized that both individuals are currently under ban by the PCF.

“The PCF led by him (Azhar) remains the sole body authorized to govern cycling in Pakistan, with full recognition from the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC),” Shah stated.

He stressed that the successful organization of major events including Tour de Galyat, Tour de Khunjerab, Tour de Khyber, Tour de Waziristan, and Tour de Mahmand were exclusively PCF initiatives.

Shah particularly took issue with claims about resolving a “13-year-long dispute,” characterizing such assertions as factually incorrect. According to the PCF president, these activities have instead “exacerbated the division within Pakistan’s cycling community.”

The federation chief called for unity in Pakistan’s cycling community and emphasized the importance of supporting the internationally recognized governing body. The PCF, headquartered in Peshawar, maintains its status as Pakistan’s officially recognized cycling body, affiliated with both international and national sports organizations.