‘Unlimited terms for president’

Lodhi outlined PFF is following legitimate process and the 2011 elections will take place and completed by July 31.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) General Secretary Lt Col (Retd) Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi said that the president and secretary can be re-elected for unlimited terms. He added that Faisal Saleh Hayat could be re-elected as president into office next year with a fresh four-year term.

“Complying with the constitution, regulations and directives of Fifa, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the PFF, the president can be re-elected for as many as unlimited terms,” Lodhi told The Express Tribune.

“The Congress has approved the district and provincial PFF elections, which are to be held next year, and the final elections’ list and the appointment of regional and provincial election commissioners were approved by the full house unanimously.”

Lodhi outlined that PFF is following a legitimate process and the 2011 elections will take place and be completed by July 31.

Hayat took over the PFF in 2003 and since has been re-elected. He stands a strong candidate for yet another forthcoming term. The PFF constitution states “the president shall be elected by the Congress for a period of four years and may be re-elected”. However, it does not specify the number of terms a president can compete for.

The federation amended the constitution on Tuesday in their congress meeting.

Earlier, former officials levelled allegations that they had planned to amend the constitution to remove the bar of three-time re-election for Hayat.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 30^th, 2010.