PESHAWAR, Jan 14: A civil judge, Muhammad Jamshed Khan Kundi, on Saturday summoned the provincial coordinator of Pakistan Hockey Federation in a contempt of court case. The court ordered that the coordinator, Malik Naveed, who is also the provincial director of FIA, should appear in person on Jan 16.

The alleged contemner has been summoned in a dispute regarding elections of the NWFP Hockey Association and scrutiny of the district hockey clubs in the province by the PHF.

The court also fixed Jan 16 for hearing an application filed for confirmation of a stay order against holding of elections of the NWFP Hockey Association and scrutiny of the district clubs by the provincial coordinator.

The petitioner, Hidayatullah Khan, secretary general of Peshawar District Hockey Association, has claimed that despite issuance of a stay order by the court Malik Naveed had announced an election schedule and continued with scrutiny of the district clubs.

Advocate Ms Nusrat Yasmeen appeared for the plaintiff Hidayatullah Khan and argued that the provincial coordinator for scrutiny had violated the constitution of PHF. She added that he was not empowered to conduct the elections.

She contended that while the stay order issued by the civil court was in the field the coordinator continued with the elections and scrutiny.

Advocate Arshad Ali appeared for the respondent Malik Naveed and contended that the elections had already been conducted and the plaint had become infructuous.

The court inquired from him how elections could be held without announcing a fresh schedule. The judge further observed that while the already announced schedule had expired during continuation of the stay order how could the polls be conducted without fresh schedule.

The present case has taken various turns in different courts.

Initially, the court of senior civil judge Ahsanullah Mehsud had on Dec 21 stayed the elections of the NWFP Hockey Association and had also suspended the directives of the PHF’s secretary general, Brig (retd) Mussaratullah Khan, regarding scrutiny of hockey clubs in the province.

The order was issued by the civil court over an application of Hidayatullah Khan, filed along the main plaint, requesting the court to declare the elections schedule and the scrutiny of the clubs as unconstitutional and illegal.

Against the order of the civil judge, Brig (retd) Mussaratullah and Malik Naveed have filed an appeal, stating that the civil court had erred in staying the polls. An additional district and sessions judge had vacated the stay order on Dec 26. However, the Peshawar High Court on Dec 29 suspended that order and restored the interim relief granted by the civil court with directives to both the parties to appear before the sessions court.