April 27, 2007	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 09, 1428

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LAHORE, April 26: Justice Tariq Shamim, of Lahore High Court has issued a stay order against the elections of the Punjab Football Association, which were to be held on Thursday.

Almost all the members of 34 districts of Punjab had gathered in Lahore. But a group headed by Tariq Cheema, which had conveyed certain reservations over the arrangements for the elections to the election commissioner Syed Nayyer Ali on Wednesday, decided to move the court after the commissioner turned a deaf ear.

The commissioner completed the elections before midday without the presence of Tariq's group. Later Tariq's group nominated secretary Nasim Ahmad Khan Niazi delivered a stay order against the elections to the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).

Tariq's group was contesting the elections against Arshad Khan Lodhi, the former Pakistan Football Federation secretary.

After receiving the stay-order, the PFF decided not to announce the decision of the elections.

Nasim in his petition to the learned judge prayed that "petitioner is a candidate for the post of secretary in the forthcoming elections of the Punjab Football Association. The petitioner received information about the schedule of elections on 24th of April 2007, which are scheduled to be held on 26.4.2007.

According to the learned counsel, the schedule was deliberately withheld by respondent No.2 (election commissioner), from the petitioner and others so that the said respondent can have the persons of his choice elected.

Therefore, the entire exercise is based on malafide intention. Further submits that the act of the election commissioner is against the law and fundamental rights of the petitioner as they have failed to provide reasonable time to the petitioner to submit nomination papers and to participate in the elections."

The learned judge had summoned the two parties for hearing on May 3.

"Till the next date of hearing, the schedule of elections announced by the Punjab Football Association, Lahore is suspended," the judge ordered.