Normalisation Committee yet to finalise road-map for clubs’ scrutiny

KARACHI: Despite having served for three months Normalisation Committee is yet to discuss and finalise a road-map for the clubs scrutiny, a most tricky target which will pave way for subsequent elections at the district, provincial and Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) level.

“We are yet to discuss and finalise a road-map,” NC chairman Humza Khan told ‘The News’ in an interview on Saturday.

However, he was quick to add that very soon meetings would be planned and a road-map for vital targets would be finalised after thorough discussion.

FIFA has given NC nine months to conduct club scrutiny and hold elections at the district, provincial and PFF level.

FIFA on September 13 had announced the list of the members of the NC. And on September 27 the then PFF led by Ashfaq Hussain Shah PFF handed over to the NC the federation’s secretariat at Lahore.

Humza is confident that elections can be held within three months unless something unavoidable happens.

“Yes within three months elections can be conducted if efforts are made unless something unforeseen happens,” said Humza, also a former captain of Karachi United.

Humza did not know more details about why Pakistan was denied entry for the 13th South Asian Games but said that the NC had made its best effort to ensure team’s entry in the biennial spectacle in which India’s entry had also been rejected for late submitting by name entries of the squad.

“I don’t know exact details but we have made the best effort to ensure our team’s entry,” Humza said.

This was the second occasion on the trot that Pakistan football team missed the South Asian Games. Former SAG champion had also missed the football event of the 12th SAG held in India in 2016 because of the conflict between two factions.

When asked why NC held Pakistan Under-19 team camp at Layyah where footballers had been boarded at a poorly-maintained big hall, Humza said,” It was free of cost.”

“You know at that time the things were not settled. The accommodation at the PFF headquarters was also not ready and we had that free of cost option,” Humza said.

Responding to a question why NC did not advertise posts which the committee filled on its own Humza said, “On the one hand people are asking us why the posts were not advertised and on the other we are being forced for taking steps towards actual target. It could have taken six months had we opted to advertise the posts as hundreds of CVs would have come in that case. And it would have been a tough job then to pick the desired candidates,” Humza said.

“We have brought in efficient staff and they are being given market-based salaries,” Humza claimed.

About the Brazilian coach Jose Nogueira’s contract issue Humza said his all dues would be cleared.

“I have responded to his every letter he wrote to me and I have told him for keeping patience. Once we know about the actual position of his contract we will clear all his dues as per contract’s provisions,” Humza said.

When this correspondent asked him if Jose was under PFF contract then why he was not called for supervising the South Asian Games camp, Humza said NC did not call him because the committee did not know about his actual contract details.

Humza did not appropriately defend NC’s selection of coaches, saying, he discusses these things with NC member and former PFF secretary Col Mujahid before taking a decision.

“I don’t know which coach was partial and which was not during the conflict. We pick coaches based on their experience and calibre for various international assignments,” he said.

When asked Pakistan had the only pro-license coach Shehzad Anwar but he was ignored for coaching job Humza said he had called Shehzad to meet him but he did not come. For SAG camp NC had announced former Pakistan captain Haroon Yousuf and former international Mohammad Arshad, who both had no experience of coaching at the elite level. Both also are less-qualified as far as coaching qualification is concerned.

“No one can ask me about coaches’ selection. Yes, I can be asked about the performance of the team,” Humza said.

NC had appointed Nasir Ismail as head coach of Pakistan under-19 team which lost all its four matches of the 2020 AFC Under-19 Qualifiers in Oman last month.

At the Al-Seeb Stadium Pakistan lost to Kuwait 1-2, went down against Palestine 1-5 before going down against Iraq 0-3 and Oman 0-1 to finish at the last and fifth place in its group.