Court orders boxing election postponement

PBF president terms the Islamabad session court notice bogus.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) elections were due to be held in Lahore yesterday but were postponed after a stay was issued from Islamabad’s session court.

PBF President Doda Khan and secretary Akram Khan have been summoned to a hearing tomorrow to answer the allegations of staging unfair elections without prior permission of the executive committee of the body. It has also been learnt that the notice issued by Civil Judge Malak Awan was not accepted by Doda, who declared the notice bogus and went out of the room where the elections were to be held.

The stay was sought by Islamabad Boxing Federation President Aun Abbas and secretary Shahidul Haq.



“Akram and Doda will have to appear in court to prove the legality of these elections,” a PBF official told The Express Tribune. “Doda may be charged with contempt of court for disregarding the court’s order. He has to clarify his actions tomorrow.”

Upon receiving severe criticism by the officials of PAF, Army, Navy, Sindh, K-P, Balochistan and Islamabad boxing associations, Doda stormed out of the meeting room. He then nominated himself as the president and Iqbal Hussain as the secretary. However, his nominations have not been accepted by the majority of voters who claim that the next president and secretary of the federation would have to go through a fair electoral process.

They also maintained that if Doda wants a new panel, then he would have to nominate his secretary and treasurer to compete against other panels and only the winner would have the right to hold office.

“Proper panels will be formed for the elections after the hearing. No one is ready to vote for Doda since his nomination borders on illegality.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2012.