PWLF too rejects PSB’s interference in internal matters

ISLAMABAD: After the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWLF) also rejected government’s interference in its internal matters, maintaining that it had never announced in public that it had no acceptance or value for the accord it had signed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on September 9, 2014, in Lausanne.

In a strongly worded letter to the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for its decision to impose ad-hoc on the federation just last week, the PWLF said: “Pakistan Weightlifting Federation is not in agreement with the decision of the PSB and therefore would continue to operate in accordance with the federation’s constitution and by virtue of its recognition by the POA and IWF.

In case of any adverse development leading to exclusion of Pakistani weightlifters or athletes from international competitions, only the PSB will be held responsible for taking such unilateral and arbitrary decisions undermining the verdicts of the honorable courts and Lausanne Agreement.”

“The PSB has departed from the Lausanne Agreement with the IOC and therefore the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation will take appropriate measures only once the PSB confirms that the Government of Pakistan does not adhere with its commitments made with the IOC, ASOIF, ANOC, OCA and POA.”

The letter written by Nuzhat Jabeen, Secretary PWLF, reminded the director general PSB that on various occasions, it has been submitted that the PWF is an autonomous and independent organisation working to promote and develop the sport of weightlifting.

“Interestingly, the PSB has not taken into account the efforts made for the promotion of weightlifting in Pakistan.

“The Pakistan Sports Board, if had conducted an inquiry and submitted its report to the Board of Pakistan Sports Board, has nothing to do with PWLF as PWLF was neither invited for rebuttal nor provided a chance to defend any allegations leveled.

This, therefore, is a biased, arbitrary, and unfair process leading to contravene the constitutional legitimacy of the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation.”

“The allegations of doping code violations are also misleading as no authority has made any such declaration.

It is on the record that International Testing Agency is in process of conducting an inquiry into alleged anti-doping rules’ violations and the matter is pending before the competent forum of the International Weightlifting Federation.”

Earlier, it was the PHF that had rejected the ad-hoc body imposed by the PSB. The Pakistan Hockey Federation even had gone to conduct fresh elections to elect officials for the next four years in office.

The Pakistan Weightlifting Federation also rejected any ad-hoc, declaring that the Pakistan Sports Board in any way cannot interfere in the internal matters of the federation.

To put the icing on the cake, federation’s secretary Nuzhat Jabeen who was named by the PSB in the ad-hoc set-up rebuked the board’s decision to include her name without her consent.

“Without getting any consent, the Pakistan Sports Board has included my name as the member of the committee that has been created to undermine the authority of the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation and IWF.

“Unfortunately, the Pakistan Sports Board has not taken into consideration that this action can deprive Pakistan weightlifters of international competitions and development programmes. I cannot thus become part of any such process.”