Normalisation committee removes Lodhi as secretary

KARACHI: As was expected, the FIFA-appointed normalisation committee on Wednesday removed Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) secretary Col Ahmed Yar Lodhi.

According to sources, the five-member committee being headed by Humza Khan on Wednesday held its first meeting at Lahore.

Sources said that Col Lodhi, who was working as secretary with the outgoing PFF president Faisal Saleh Hayat, was removed.“Lodhi has been removed,” a source privy to the development told ‘The News’.

Two members of the committee including Munir Ahmed Khan Sadhana and Syed Hasan Najib Shah strongly opposed the decision, sources said. Humza, when contacted, also confirmed the removal of Lodhi.

This correspondent learnt that the committee gave authority to Humza for choosing a new secretary. A source said that Ashfaq Hussain-led PFF had written to FIFA that if Lodhi was part of the committee then they will not accept the normalisation committee.

FIFA senior official Alexandre Gros also briefed the committee, a source said.It was also decided in the meeting that only the committee chairman would speak to media. A source said that Alexandre Gros also told the committee members that the committee had power of the Executive Committee of the PFF and had the authority to appoint or remove anyone, a source added.

FIFA has given the committee the mandate to conduct club scrutiny, hold elections at the district and provincial level before going for elections of the PFF within nine months. But the deadline is subject to change.Alexandre Gros will monitor the working of the committee.