Singing a different tune : Footballer withdraws harassment allegations

Says he was misled and that the FATA sports director is an honest man.

PESHAWAR: Khyber Agency footballer Yasir Shah Afridi withdrew his allegations of sexual harassment against Federally Administered Tribal Areas Sports Director Ayaz Khan on Thursday, saying he was misled by certain people.

“I apologise to Ayaz Khan,” Afridi told a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club. “All allegations against the director were baseless and I was misguided.”

Standing on the same ground on August 10, Afridi was had sung a completely different tune when he hurled accusations of sexual harassment. He refused to name the people who influenced him and requested journalists not to ask questions.



He added Khan is an honest man and withdrew his accusations.

A day after Afridi’s initial press conference, office-bearers of the FATA Football Association (FFA) held a demonstration against Ayaz Khan for his alleged sexual harassment of a footballer and demanded the official’s immediate arrest.

However, on August 12, the FATA Sports Directorate had denied the allegations.

Directorate officer Muhammad Imran said Afridi, a veteran footballer with 80 international caps to his name, tried to tarnish Ayaz’s reputation.

He said Afridi asked Ayaz to allow him to work in Qatar ahead of the world cup. He shared that Ayaz responded by saying he would check if regulations permitted such an action.

Imran said Afridi telephoned a day later, saying he would no longer play under the directorate. The same evening he held a press conference in which he accused the director of offering him the post of assistant director in return for sexual favours. He blew away the opportunity.

Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan had formed a committee to investigate the matter and rid the province of such heinous crimes.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2015.