RAWALPINDI, Jan 29: A local court Tuesday granted stay against the elections of District Hockey Association, Rawalpindi.

The stay order was delivered to the concerned just when elections to the district hockey body were to begin at the offices of District Coordination Officer, Rawalpindi, Mr. Amjad Toor.

PHF had nominated its observers to oversee elections for district bodies almost throughout Punjab.

DHA, Rawalpindi, has 36 genuine clubs after three- tiers of scrutiny of clubs conducted by PHF representative, Col. Shahid Jaffery, recently.

The group of “incumbent” Raja Shahid Iqbal had got stay against the scrutiny of clubs also but the task was completed after the judicial proceedings.

The court of senior civil judge, Muhammad Iqbal Goraya, was moved for Tuesday’s stay against holding of elections by one Imran Aslam, allegedly at the behest of the same group.

Upon receiving the court orders, DCO Amjad Toor and Maj. Qaiser took into confidence the Presidents of all the 20 clubs who represented Kiani/Shaikh Majeed groups and were present for voting.

Speaking to the Presidents of the clubs, former international Pervez Kiani criticised the Raja group. “We have the majority of clubs as 30 out of 36 clubs of the district body support us”, he told the club presidents.

He called upon PHF to impose a ban on Raja group “for the sake of promotion of sports” in the country.

The Presidents of clubs, present at the meeting, were: Zaheer Khan (Afghan), Zafar Ullah Khan Niazi (Bunda), Naeem Rehmani (Commandos and Eleven Stars), Shaikh Abdul Majeed (City and Spartan), Muhammad Akhlaq Usmani (Fighters), Sheikh Ali Ahmed (Hilal), Abdur Rasheed (Kent), Raja Muhammad Afzal (Malik), Pervez Aslam Kiani (Marrier), Muhammad Ashraf (Pindi Brothers), Zaki Khan (Pindi Rovers), Satellite (Naveed), Nizamuddin (Sherwani), Javaid (Wah Cantt.), Riaz Baig (Wah Youngs), Sajjad Lodhi (Elliot), Haji Muhammad Ishaq (Al-Aziz), Shafiq Mirza (Shahzada), Muhammad Ayaz (Al-Asad), Javed Aslam Kiani (Wah Nationals).—APP