LAHORE, June 17: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and the federal government on Tuesday were at loggerheads over the removal of the former Olympian Khalid Mahmood as secretary of the federation by the sports minister.

The federal sports minister Najamuddin Khan through a notification issued on Monday had removed Khalid, an elected secretary in a controversial move, using his questionable authority and that too without bringing it into the notice of PHF President Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali. The minister also appointed former Olympian and coach Asif Bajwa as the interim secretary in place of Khalid.

But when Bajwa reached the PHF offices here at the National Hockey Stadium (NHS) on Tuesday morning to take the charge according to the government’s order, he found the secretary’s room locked.

He along with his supporters kept waiting for Khalid Mahmood in the Punjab Hockey Association (PHA) offices, also situated at the National Hockey Stadium but Khalid never turned up to hand over the charge to him. At last Asif decided to hold a press conference for which he used the PHF conference room.

“I had spoken to Khalid last night and he promised me that he would come to the office but he didn’t,” Bajwa said.

“I don’t blame Khalid and I don’t believe the former secretary did this deliberately as he may be busy in some other work,” Bajwa said.

“But I believe the matter will be sorted out by tomorrow [Wednesday] and there is no big issue,” he said.

“I want to start work after taking charge from the outgoing secretary and hopefully it will happen soon,” he said.

When contacted, Khalid told Dawn that he did not make any promises to Bajwa of coming to the office on Tuesday.

“Bajwa talked to me last night and asked me to meet him at the office but I told him that I couldn’t make any promises and would try to visit provided I find the time to do so,” Khalid said.

“I accepted the decision of the government, though I have reservations about it, and I had also told my staff that I will not come to office tomorrow so I didn’t,” Khalid, who earlier had called the minister’s decision as illegal, said.

When asked whether he had spoken to Jamali about his unceremonious removal, Khalid said that he had brought it to his notice last night.

“The president was not happy over the decision because it was taken without his knowledge,” Khalid said while quoting Mr Jamali.

However, sources on conditions of anonymity told Dawn that the federal government was taking the whole matter very seriously and may take stern action after the sports minister.

“Mr Jamali has also been elected as PHF president with the approval of the government as per tradition,” sources said.

Meanwhile, Bajwa said there would be no change in the team management till the Beijing Olympics.

“Any change in the team management at this moment cannot serve any good purpose so the current management will continue till the Games,” he said while negating the impression that his induction in the PHF management could have any impact on the boys’ performance.

“Any change in the PHF management should be of no concern to the team as the boys still get all the facilities,” he said.

Bajwa also dispelled the impression that in case of a long tussle between the PHF and the government, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) might have to step in by suspending the country’s affiliation. Quoting FIFA’s example, he said that it observed very strict rules in such cases.

Bajwa said he would only execute his plans after getting the charge.

When asked if his nomination was the result of political pressure, a rather emotional Bajwa said abruptly “as a former Olympian, coach and the recipient of the President’s Pride of Performance award, I have justification to be PHF’s secretary and my being young in years should have nothing to do with it.”