Fehmida tells Ashfaq group it must vacate PFF headquarters

KARACHI: The IPC minister Dr Fehmida Mirza on Tuesday sternly told the Ashfaq group to vacate the PFF headquarters in Lahore which was the only way to pave the way for getting the FIFA sanctions lifted and holding the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) elections.

However, the Ashfaq group denied that any such thing had happened. “This was not discussed in the meeting,” a source in Ashfaq group told 'The News'.

“We will give a mechanism to the IPC Ministry in two to three days and will tell them how the elections should be held and will ask for counter-guarantees in the whole process,” the Ashfaq group source said.

The source further said that they would not vacate the PFF headquarters. “How can we vacate the headquarters!” the source said.

A six-member delegation of the group, including PTI MNA Amir Dogar, held a detailed meeting with the IPC minister at Islamabad. The Director General of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Col (retd) Asif Zaman was also present in the meeting.

A government source said that it was a positive meeting and in two to three days the things would get settled.

The source neither confirmed nor denied that Fehmida told the group to vacate the PFF headquarters.

The source further said that IPC ministry and PSB would monitor the elections. The source said that NC would have to conduct the elections in four to six months.

The Ashfaq group, according to sources, told the minister that they did not trust the NC as it had deceived them several times in the past.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan assistant coach Nasir Ismail told 'The News' on Tuesday that the Ashfaq group would not vacate the PFF House before the end of the Premier League for which they had been funded by Global Soccer Ventures (GSV), a company which has signed a 15-year deal with them to hold the franchise-based Pakistan Football League (PFL).

He said that unless NC chairman Haroon Malik led from the front by coming to Pakistan from Canada nothing would be achieved.

Another source of the Asfhaq group told this correspondent that a hot debate was held with IPC mninister. The Ashfaq group was told to submit the suggestions to the ministry within three days.

Before the meeting, the football issue was also discussed between federal minister Asad Umar and Special Advisor to Prime Minister Malik Amir Dogar in the presence of 30-40 ministers and MNAs. The cabinet members said that PM had asked about the football matters.