Delay in PFF elections? Officials await written stay order from LHC

June 30 elections reportedly postponed by the court.

KARACHI: Pakistan Football Federation officials, including president Faisal Saleh Hayat and the electoral committee, are continuing with their preparations for the June 30 elections despite reports circulating that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had postponed them.

According to Punjab Football Association chief Sardar Naveed Haider, who is also one of the candidates running for the PFF vice-presidency post, all the voters and officials, along with a representative from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), had gathered at the election venue — Changla Gali in Abbottabad — on Monday.



Haider said that they were almost prepared and were now waiting to receive a written order from the court if the verdict for the delay had truly been given.

“We are all here at Changla Gali,” Haider told The Express Tribune. “From what we’ve heard, the LHC has given a stay order against the PFF elections but we haven’t received any written document stating this thus far. Hence, we are here at the election venue and will continue with the original election date unless officially told otherwise.”

The LHC order came out on Monday insisting that the two opposing groups in the PFF will need to present themselves in court on July 7 with the elections postponed till further notice.

Hayat has been the PFF president since 2003, whereas his opponents, Arshad Lodhi and Farasat Ali Shah, came out this month claiming to have held an Extra-Ordinary Congress meeting in Islamabad to suspend Hayat from office on the basis of embezzlement allegations.

On the other hand, the AFC has extended its support to Hayat and recognises his role as PFF president.

According to Haider, the PFF electoral committee will decide the proceedings on June 30. “Our lawyers will definitely get the court order in its written form and then we’ll see. Till then though, the FIFA/AFC official is here as well and we’re relaxed and hopeful of holding the elections tomorrow [Tuesday].”

Earlier in June, another LHC verdict had ruled in Hayat’s favour and gave the June 30 elections the go-ahead.

Meanwhile, the parallel group led by Lodhi and Farasat said that they will hold a press conference on June 30 to comment on the LHC’s decision.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th,  2015.

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