January 7, 2006	Saturday	Zilhaj 6, 1426

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KARACHI, Jan 6: Karachi Hockey Association (KHA) elections were “postponed” amid chaotic scenes and charges of attempted rigging levelled by secretary Gulfaraz Ahmad who urged PHF to sack secretary scrutiny committee Iftikhar Syed and director domestic hockey Muhammad Shafiq.

Gulfaraz alleged that Iftikhar, with director domestic PHF, Muhammad Shafiq, tried to rig the polls and later forced the election chairman Akbar Shah Bokhari to postpone the elections at 6.00pm, while proceedings should have started at least at 3.30pm.

“The whole election process was a mockery of rules and regulations. Iftikhar and Shafiq were bent on getting their hand-picked people elected by tampering with the electoral list and by breaching all the rules. I appeal to the PHF chief to intervene and sack Iftikhar and Shafiq,” Gulfaraz told Dawn.

Gulfaraz also alleged Iftikhar and Shafiq had been operating to engineer the polls on the instructions of PHF secretary.

The official said while Iftikhar refused to provide the electoral list when asked a day before the election, he changed names of several candidates as those individuals who were already named to contest were not available.

Iftikar did not even provide the electoral list to the chairman election and became a party since he was also representing Naval Star Club, although he was secretary of scrutiny committee.

Gulfaraz said S.M. Naqi, who was president of Pak Capital was replaced by Syed Zahid Ali. Interestingly, KPT’s Shah Naeem Zafar, who was replaced by Mohsin Siddiqi, was called up after objection and reached the election venue at 4.00pm, while Mohsin had already replaced him and signed the scrutiny form.

Likewise, Habib Public School’s Raees Ahmad was replaced by Wakil Nasir, although the latter had not signed the scrutiny form. Similarly, Saleemi replaced PWD’s Ibraheem Pasha who was not available.

“Even fake voters were produced. When asked to produce National Identity Card, Saleemi said he is not Ibraheem Pasha. This led to a storm created by a candidate for secretary, Ejazuddin, and Shabih Abbas, secretary Habib Public School and YMCA. Both left the room and went to Shafiq who asked Akbar Shah to postpone the elections which he did.”

PHF has recently appointed Sindh Sports Minister, Qamar Mansoor, election coordinator for Sindh.