Stakeholders target PFF NC for alleged unfair delivery

By our correspondent
LAHORE: With the meeting date of Pakistan’s government with FIFA and AFC getting closer football stakeholders have expedited their efforts to target the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalisation Committee for its alleged unfair delivery while at the helms of affairs of the country’s football for the last few years.
Launched at Karachi on Sunday where a vigorous protest was held in front of the Karachi Press Club, a similar step is set to be taken at Chaman on Tuesday (today) where former Pakistan captain Mohammad Essa will address a news conference at the Chaman Press Club at 12:30pm.
He will be flanked by former international players Zahid Hameed and bunch of other international footballers and stakeholders.
“Yes we are going to hold a press conference here at Chaman Press Club tomorrow,” Essa told this correspondent from Chaman, Balochistan, on Monday.
“NC is violating the mandate of FIFA. NC conducted a controversial election of the Pakistan Football Referees Association (PFRA). The way scrutiny is being conducted and the way the situation is heading towards disaster it is going to create a huge doubt that NC will not be able to hold transparent elections of the PFF,” Essa stressed.
“We will also talk about the restoration of domestic football and departmental teams. We will also talk on club status as NC has no authority to change the status of clubs,” said the former playmaker.
“AFC have already accepted the departmental teams as clubs. You are going to abolish departments and hold controversial elections which would put the country’s football in deeper quagmire,” Essa said.
On December 7 a huge protest is also on the card here at the Punjab Stadium where stakholders from four provinces and Islamabad will participate.
“Our plan is simple as stakeholders are coming from Balochistan, Sindh, KP, Islamabad and Punjab. Players, coaches, referees and former Pakistan’s captains will be here with us to raise our voice against NC’s illegal steps,” Punjab Football Association’s (PFA) former chief Naveed Haider told thecricketplus.com on Monday.
“Our stand is clear. NC, under the chairmanship of Haroon Malik, has blatantly violated the constitution of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF). It has gone against the mandate given to it by FIFA,” Naveed said.
“They have not done anything on domestic football front and on international front they have rather mostly used foreign players and did not focus on homegrown footballers. And it’s a big tragedy. They have not paid dues to both men’s and women’s teams of various age-groups and senior teams. The PFRA elections were also illegal. They have no authority to go for such elections as this is the prerogative of the PFRA,” Naveed said.
“The scrutiny being conducted is just a drama. They have not yet unveiled details of the registered clubs. No body knows which clubs have fulfilled the requirements of the PFF. So how can you do the scrutiny of the unregistered clubs,” Naveed questioned.
“You don’t have the right to give voting rights to any club. The newly registered clubs will be given voting rights after two years of their registration,” Naveed said.
Meanwhile former Pakistan assistant coach Nasir Ismail, who led the Sunday’s protest at Karachi, alleged that NC’s chairman Haroon Malik appointed coaches of his choice.
“Even our local brand could defeat Cambodia as we had good players this time. NC does not hold domestic events becaue if it holds then there will be no space for diaspora players in the national teams. The Challenge Cup was also left incomplete which is NC’s main task,” Nasir said.
“NC is making efforts to force stakeholders so that they could occupy Football House and force FIFA to suspend Pakistan as these people have earned their bread and butter and they don’t need elections. NC has kept 80 elite class people as employees at the PFF headquarters. After Cambodia game they gathered at a hotel and wore gold medals. There were no players and coaches in that function on which NC spent millions,” Nasir alleged.
“They are just busy in self promotion. They have no intent to take Pakistan to transition period,” Nasir signed off.
Karachi’s protest was also attended by former Pakistan coach Tariq Lutfi, Sindh Football Association’s (SFA) former secretary Rahim Bux Baloch, former PIA coach Shamim Khan, Salim Patni and Mohammad Zafar.