February 18, 2002	Monday	Zilhaj 5, 1422

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LAHORE, Feb 17: Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has suffered a setback as one of its affiliated units, the NWFP Olympic Association, has decided to implement the new sports policy introduced by the government.

POA has developed differences with the sports ministry over the new policy mainly due to one of its clauses which restrict the president and secretaries of the sports federations and the POA to a tenure of two terms.

According to reliable sources, NWFP Olympic Association president Saeed Khan has conveyed his instructions to all the provincial sports associations to hold the district-wise elections according to the policy.

Subsequently the association called a general council meeting last Wednesday in Peshawar in which one-point agenda of the sports policy was discussed. Saeed instructed the participants of the meeting to immediately take steps for adopting the new policy.

It has been further learnt that the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has called a general council meeting at Islamabad on March 5 in which clear instructions would be conveyed to the federations to hold elections according to its new policy.

The POA had already conveyed to the PSB, its apprehensions of any action against Pakistan by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) if the government would try to impose its sports policy by setting aside the constitution of the National Olympic Committee.