January 15, 2002	Tuesday	Shawwal 30, 1422

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KARACHI, Jan 14: After a two-year lull controversies once again cropped up in basketball Monday when the Karachi Division Amateur Basketball Association (KDABBA) challenged Sindh Amateur Basketball Association (SABBA) elections, saying they were illegal and must be considered null and void.

Speaking at a press briefing, vice-president of the KDABBA, Abid Iftikhar Mallhi, charged two Sindh Sports Board (SSB) employees with favouring Brig Rashid Ali Malik (retd), the newly-elected president of the SABBA, during the January polls.

The ministry of sports, Pakistan Amateur Basketball Federation (PABBF) ad hoc committee, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), had been appealed by the KDABBA to intervene and hold fresh elections.

“The KDABBA considers SABBA elections illegal. We want justice to done. But if our appeals are turned down, our hands will be free to knock on any other door for justice,” Abid, flanked by KDABBA president Amjad Ali, and secretary Abdul Nasir, said.

The KDABBA official contended Ashraf and Aftab, who were appointed chairman and member of election-scrutiny committee for Sindh and Balochistan, gave Karachi the right to give just one vote, despite the fact that the city has five districts and 17 clubs.

“We had demanded five votes from Karachi but Ashraf denied our right. It is even a gross violation of the newly-formulated national sports policy which says the city should have the votes according to the number of its districts.

“Karachi has been deprived of its due share. Even if we take away all the remaining five districts, they do not have more clubs than Karachi,” the official said.

Abid had number of points to prove Brig Rashid used tactics to got himself elected as the president of SABBA after facing defeat at the polls of KDABBA of which he remained president for two years.

He termed Brig Rashid’s nomination illegitimate since the SABBA president didn’t belong to any of the affiliated units.

Abid alleged the president SABBA, in connivance with Ashraf, opted to get his nomination for the SABBA polls from Mirpurkhas after he lost his presidentship with KDABBA.

“Brig Rashid was the elected president KDABBA till Dec 4, 2001, but got his nomination from Mirpurkhas whose elections were held in Nov, 2001, while the SABBA polls were held in Jan 2002.

“The KDABBA came to know just a day before that his (Rashid’s) nomination has been accepted by Ashraf after Rashid succeeded in getting false nomination. The fact has been mentioned at the elections and included in the minutes,” the official said.

Abid accused Saad Zia, brother of Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia, of coercing the voters to vote in Rashid’s favour by using his brother’s name and by utilising what he called the PCB machinery.

The KDABBA official said Saad, the senior vice-president of SABBA, was nominated from Thatta, despite the fact that he had never lived, served nor had association with the Thatta district.