PFF Normalisation Committee asked to relinquish charge

ISLAMABAD: Former president of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Syed Ashfaq Hussain Wednesday urged the FIFA appointed Normalisation Committee to relinquish the charge.

Ashfaq, who was flanked by Amir Dogar and Naveed Haider, said: “We want Normalisation Committee to relinquish the charge and constitute a fact-finding committee to probe into the finances of the PFF and other matters.”

Ashfaq added that he was elected as president of the PFF following the intervention of Supreme Court.

“We relinquished the charge only because we wanted the committee to decide on future of the game in a specific period.”

Naveed Haider said that they had met Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Fehmida Mirza and she has assured us to put the matter in front of the prime minister.

“The minister also assured us that she will write a letter to the FIFA for early resolution of the issue,” Naveed added.

However, the fact of the matter is that the ministry has already written a letter to the FIFA but the game’s governing body is still backing the Normalisation Committee.

Ashfaq later talking to ‘The News’ said that he himself had written three letters to the FIFA but its officials did not bother to reply.

“We don’t want our football to suffer so we want an early settlement of the issue,” he added.

Our correspondent from Karachi adds: During the meeting, the minister was informed about the way PFF NC is working and the stakeholders urged the minister to help resolve the pressing issue.

Those who met the minister included former PFF vice-president and PTI MNA Malik Amir Dogar, PTI sports and culture wing vice-president Shahid Shinwari, former senior-vice President Sindh Football Association (SFA) Fateh Mohammad Baloch, former SFA Secretary Rahim Bux, former President Balochistan Football Association (BFA) Haji Rauf Natozai, former BFA Secretary Haji Saeed Tikko, former president Islamabad FA Chaudhry Salim, former Islamabad FA Secretary Sharafat Bukhari, former vice-president Punjab FA Rana Shoukat and former PFF congress member Chaudhry Faqir Mohammad.

Insiders told ‘The News’ that Dr Fehmida told the stakeholders that she would be meeting with the Prime Minister Imran Khan and would take up this issue. The minister said that the Prime Minister is taking keen interest in football. The minister was requested to write to FIFA and apprise the world body about the grievances of the stakeholders pertaining to alleged irregularities in the electoral process at various levels.

Sources said that the minister decided to form a three-member committee, including the IPC joint secretary, which would draft a letter with consensus to be sent to FIFA and AFC.

The minister was also given evidence of alleged irregularities in the electoral process by PFF NC and its alleged deviation from its mandate which could be forwarded to FIFA to substantiate the claims of the ministry which it had shown in its letter written to FIFA a few months ago.