Confusion prevails after PTF’s dissolution

Ad-hoc committee comes into place promising elections as angry sacked officials file case against body's dissolution.

KARACHI: The ad-hoc committee for the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) came into place promising free and fair elections within 90 days as the angry sacked officials filed a case at the Lahore High Court against the body’s dissolution.

Federal Sports Minister Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani dissolved the Senator Dilawar Abbas-led PTF after it failed to hold elections in the stipulated time that ended this April. Jakhrani then formed an ad-hoc committee, naming former sports minister Pir Aftab Shah Jilani as its chairman.

“We’ve challenged the decision because it is in contempt of court as the matter relating to the PTF polls was already in court,” Major Rashid Khan, who was serving as the secretary of the dissolved federation, told The Express Tribune. “The elections were delayed because the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Association received a stay-order to hold their provincial elections. The PTF cannot hold the elections without completion of all the provincial polls.

Khan claimed that the PTF had already pleaded to the court to end the stay-order so that it could hold the elections on time.

“The matter was sub-judice and the decision by the sports minister was unjust.”

Meanwhile, the newly formed committee held its first meeting to discuss plans about the country’s tennis as well as the elections which will be held within three months. Jilani ensured that the elections would be transparent and would not disturb the domestic tennis schedule or offshore assignments for the players.

The former sports minister refused to comment on the former officials’ move to file a legal case but said that the committee has no agenda against any of former top PTF officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2010.