October 19, 2001	Friday	Shaba'an 1, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 18: Maj Gen (Retd) Muhammad Imtiaz Ali claimed Thursday that he was still the president of the Pakistan Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF) and that the formation of an ad hoc committee to run the affairs was unconstitutional.

Imtiaz was reacting to the events of last Monday when a Special General Council meeting of the PAAF decided to suspend him and the federation’s secretary, Col (Retd) Hanif Malik for committing financial bunglings.

As many as 11 members out of a total 13 in that meeting in a signed resolution had said that both officials were guilty of gross financial irregularities.

But Imtiaz dismissed all those accusations as “nonsense” and instead accused Lt. Col Muhammad Abrar of bringing in some members to attend the meeting who did not have permission of their respective units. “However, on Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar’s request I let them attend the meeting, “ Imtiaz said. Khokhar, of the Army Sports Directorate, was eventually named to head the ad hoc committee.

Imtiaz said that he had adjourned Monday’s meeting for lunch and when he returned the quorum was not complete. “I have therefore convened a fresh meeting on the 27th.”

The Special General Council meeting was held on the specific instructions of the Pakistan Olympic Association after the Pakistan Sports Board asked them to investigate some letters written by “some persons” complaining against the PAAF.

The POA, Imtiaz said held a meeting in this connection last month which was attended by the relevant people. “The POA concluded that the letters were well within the jurisdiction of the PAAF to act and asked us to hold a meeting to settle the matter.”

One of the complainant was Ch. Abdul Rashid, a former auditor of the PAAF, who alleged that an amount of Rs 202606 was shown as a receipt of loan in the statement of accounts for the year ending June 30, 1999.

“This was the first agenda point and I told the house that whatever complaints Rashid had had already been discussed in two previous meetings of the federation and that the matter was now closed.”

But he said the proceedings turned bad when the members began to shout. “It then became clear to me that some of them had planned to disrupt the meeting.”

Clarifying his point regarding the accounts, Imtiaz said that the PAAF never gave out loan to anyone, rather it was given to them by Zahid Ali Rizvi in two instalments in connection with the Karachi City Peace Marathon held in 1998.

Asked if the forthcoming General Council meeting would attract enough members, Imtiaz said that even if one person turns up the quorum would be considered constitutionally complete. “Any meeting that breaks due to a lack of quorum does not actually require it the next time it is held.”

Monday’s meeting had seven agenda points but things took such a turn that only one could be discussed.

The ad hoc committee formed in that meeting includes besides Brig. Khokhar as its head, Aminullah Raisani (Baluchistan), Kh. Ahmed Hassan (Punjab), Lt. Col (Retd) Khalid Hussain (Railways), Capt Zafar Mahmood (Navy) and Muhammad Khalid Mahmood (Wapda).

Meanwhile, the Brig Khokhar ad hoc committee has also convened a meeting of the General Council on Oct 24 in Lahore.