January 22, 2007	Monday	Muharram 02, 1428

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KARACHI, Jan 21: Statements by Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to solve issues in Sindh proved tall claims when another group formed Sindh Hockey Association (SHA) on Sunday, saying it had no option since the PHF was reluctant to intervene into the matter.

Although the new president of the PHF, Zafarullah Jamali, had vowed to solve the problems of the associations including Sindh, a new group headed by Zafar Iqbal emerged after SHA ‘elections’ held in Larkana.

Interestingly, the group having Rao Saleem as the secretary which had announced its SHA office-bearers last year also ‘elected’ Sindh Sports Minister Qamar Mansoor its new president in Nawabshah on Sunday to fill the post lying vacant following Zafar’s resignation last year.

Saleem says that the SHA formed last year has legal status, was recognised by the PHF and all his association needed was the new president which has now been chosen.

“We have been working as the SHA which was recognised by PHF. If we were not legal then why PHF never sent us any notification,” Saleem said from Nawabshah.

“Zafar had left us last year and now we have Qamar Mansoor as new president which now completes SHA. If anybody has held SHA elections today, then I am surprised,” he added.

Asked if his SHA was legal, why the PHF had stopped Sindh squad from participating in the regional national championship last year, Saleem said it was because of a legal battle between the Karachi Hockey Association (KHA) and the PHF and not the SHA.

On the other hand, secretary of the so-called newly-formed SHA in Larkana, Ramzan Jamali says the Sindh body constituted last year has no legal effect as its elections were not held under PHF’s supervision.

“The body formed last year was held under Qamar Mansoor’s supervision which was totally illegal since he or Sindh Sports Board (SSB) were not authorised to do so by PHF. It is happening because the PHF never took action and intervened despite so many requests by us. If PHF is not willing to take this matter seriously, then there will be several SHAs now,” Ramzan said from Larkana.

Ramzan said that he had contacted PHF secretary Akhatrul Islam more than once before he left for Hajj to talk on the issue but was turned down, saying he would discuss on his return.

“Now he (Akhtar) has returned but we have no word from him till yet. We had no choice but to hold our own elections. Besides, we are continuing the old SHA and there are hardly any changes to the office-bearers,” he said when asked how he could justify formation of his body when the elections were not held in supervision of PHF.

Ramzan contended that while Major Afzal was nominated as election commissioner by PHF to conduct SHA polls, the Saleem group formed the association under Qamar’s supervision.

However, he offered PHF his group was willing to hold negotiations and abolish SHA formed by him if given assurance of justice and new elections under PHF supervision.

“We are ready to talk and abolish our association if PHF assures us of new elections and even scrutiny in districts such as Hyderabad, Khairpur and Nawabshah. But we are not ready to accept any association formed under Qamar Mansoor.”

Provincial associations have been dogged by rifts between officials and clash over elections, scrutiny of clubs and rigging. The present problem is a legacy of the former PHF secretary Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan which is being continued by his successor and a close friend Akhtar who also messed up KHA affairs when he maintained Musarrat’s policies.

KHA has also been recently formed after two groups failed to hold activity peacefully despite elections held thrice. KHA officials led by Gulfaraz last year named Akhtar as one of the respondents in a court case filed against PHF which had announced KHA elections as null and void.

Sindh High Court (SHC) in its order had even stated that although Akhtar was reported to be present at Hockey Club of Pakistan, the baliff who was not allowed entry and misguided by saying he was not present inside the venue.

SHC had refrained PHF temporarily from interfering in the KHA affairs. The issue has, however, been resolved recently after an out of court settlement.

SHA officials elected:

Zafar Iqbal (president), Nayar Hussain Zaidi, Arif Ashraf, Abdul Salam (vice-presidents); Muhammad Ramzan Jamali (secretary); Abdul Azeem Khan, Abdul Rasheed (associate secretaries); Aslam Khan Niazi (treasurer).

Council members: Abdul Rasool Janwari, Ghulam Hussain Baloch, Shabbir Channa, Zulfiqar Hussain, Nafees Sheikh, Abdul Khalique, Arif Bhatti and Aijaz Khokhar.