PFF NC recomposes provincial bodies, names Gilgit-Baltistan committee

KARACHI: Not knowing what to do, Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalisation Committee has reconstituted certain Provincial Normalisation Committees and formed a Normalisation Committee for Gilgit-Baltistan with immediate effect.

Changes have been made to the normalisation committees of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.

“The changes have been made to ensure consistency in the number of members in all Provincial Normalisation Committees while also seeking to address concerns regarding conflict of interest,” the NC said in a press release on Saturday.

The NC claimed that it is trying to ensure that transparent elections of the PFF are held at the earliest with the expectation that it will usher in a new era in Pakistan football.

“The Punjab FA NC has been revised and reconstituted which now include Aneeq-Ur-Rehman, Rizwan Asif, Shaukat Ali Khan, Mohammed Ashraf Khan and Amir Mahmood,” it said.

In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa FA NC, Basit Kamal, who was appointed as chairman, has been replaced with Salahuddin Qureshi.

In the Sindh FA NC, Najaf Hussain Iqbal has been replaced with Irshad Ali Makhdoom.

The Gilgit-Baltistan FA NC consists of Imtiaz Ahmed, Nisar Ahmed and Sikandar Khan.

Given a nine-month mandate by FIFA to hold PFF elections, the NC is in its seventh month, but has not even announced club scrutiny schedule which is the most difficult phase of its mandate.

There is every chance, according to sources, that the NC will seek four months extension in its mandate.

Former Punjab Football Association (PFA) president Naveed Haider has rejected the steps of the NC. “All Committees have been constituted to favour Zahir Shah to become PFF president and bring in their own candidates for provincial and regional presidencies,” Naveed told ‘The News’ from Lahore on Saturday.

“The whole world, including Pakistan, is putting up a fight against the coronavirus pandemic, but these guys are playing their cynical games to pursue their personal agenda. This is no service to Pakistani football. This drama has to end soon,” said Naveed, also a former Director Marketing of PFF.

“I fail to understand that when FIFA/AFC and all other leading football associations have suspended all activities world-wide because of the coronavirus why all of a sudden our so-called NC announces changes in the committees,” he pointed out. “Olympics have been postponed, all major international events have been cancelled but our biased NC is busy playing musical chair.

“At this time they should be looking after our players and field officials. Have they done anything to provide any financial assistance or food or ration to the poor players?” he asked.

“Shame on them. Football family will never forgive such a selfish and cunning approach,” Naveed said. “As far as club scrutiny and registration by their handpicked people are concerned, it will not materialise as there will be litigation all over Pakistan. FIFA will have to rethink the strategy for Pakistan football,” Naveed said.

Meanwhile, sources in Faisal group said, “There is nobody from the Faisal group. NC is making fool of the stakeholders,” a source said.

“All members are from Zahir Shah, Taha Ali and Mohsin faction. It is favouring Zahar Shah/Ashfaq faction. It will ultimately destroy football in Pakistan,” the source said.

“Affected districts where the illegal provincial/district FAs will try to do undue favours to Zahir shah group will be forced to get stay orders from civil courts about the results of the club scrutiny in their provinces and holding of district elections.

“This will give the NC a self-created excuse to delay elections and keep getting huge salaries,” the source said.