PHF congress meeting yet to be called

KARACHI: Five days have passed since Khalid Khokhar was nominated as Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president but not a single letter of invitation to any PHF congress member has been sent so far, ‘The News’ has learnt.
An extraordinary meeting of PHF council members is required to be held for the new president to get vote of confidence.
Sources said it was surprising that the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had called the PHF congress members meeting, which was a violation of the PHF’s constitution.
A source said that according to the PHF constitution’s article 12.11, one-third congress members can call a meeting in case a president resigns. The meeting should be held within 14 days. And it is only PHF members, not PSB or any other entity, which can call a meeting of PHF congress.
It would be PHF’s constitution’s violation if PSB or any other institution called the PHF congress members meeting, the source said.
He also pointed out that if PHF’s congress fails to hold a meeting in 14 days, the patron in chief of PHF, under article 15, has the authority to confirm the nomination of the president.
There were reports that PSB had called an emergency meeting of PHF council members within seven days. According to these reports, PHF council members meeting would be held on Thursday.
But there was no preparation for the meeting in Lahore or Islamabad, a source said, adding that not a single invitation had been sent to the members. The PHF congress has more than 100 members.
The sources said that PHF president Akhtar Rasool tendered his resignation on April 20 and on the same day Brig (Rtd) Khalid Khokar was nominated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is the patron in chief of PHF, for the coveted position.
The sources said that PHF is reluctant to call the congress members meeting because it did not have enough money to bear the expenditure of this meeting.
All members who come to attend the congress meeting are given travelling allowance as well as daily allowance.