Zahir condemns ‘occupation’

KARACHI: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) former Congress member and former health minister Syed Zahir Shah on Sunday condemned the “occupation of the PFF headquarters” in Lahore.

“It’s an unlawful action and I condemn this. This should not have been done,” Zahir Shah told ‘The News’ after holding a news conference in Peshawar on Sunday.

“The Normalisation Committee chairman Haroon Malik had said that he would unveil the elections roadmap in the first week of April and we were hopeful that in the next four months elections would be held but these people acted wrongly,” Shah said.

“Those who have done this will not be affected. I fear for those people whose bread and butter is attached with football. If Pakistan gets banned then it will be a serious issue,” Shah said.

He demanded that the Prime Minister Imran Khan act and hand the headquarters back to the PFF Normalisation Committee.

“We cannot run football without FIFA and AFC. Tell me how much money Pakistan government can give to football,” Shah said.

Shah is one of the key stakeholders of football, having served Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Football Association for more than a decade as its president.

He said that he is ready to assist PFF NC in resolving the issue locally. “If we get banned we will be internationally isolated. During the last few years a handful of departments disbanded their football teams and if we still continue to create issues then the rest of departments will also disband their teams,” said Shah, a renowned KP politician.

“Yes, I believe that the previous NC chairman Humza Khan did not work but Haroon Malik had came three months ago and he should have been given some time,” Shah said.