June 21, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 16, 1429

KARACHI, June 20: Many expectations are being associated with the Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) congress and executive committee meeting at the PFF House in Lahore today (Saturday).

The proceedings that are to commence at 11.00am with the meeting of the executive committee to carry on till 1.00pm, will resume with the congress meeting at 2.00pm, after the lunch hour, that is expected to conclude at around 5.30pm.

According to reliable sources within the PFF, besides reviewing matters since the federation’s last meeting on Oct 4, 2007, including approval of exceeding expenditures for the recently concluded National Football Challenge Cup (NFCC) that took place in Karachi between May 1-15, the committee would also scrutinise the national team’s performance, especially the SAFF Championship fiasco in Maldives earlier in the month where Pakistan lost all the three matches in Group ‘A’ to Maldives (3-0), India (2-1) and Nepal (4-1) to return home empty handed.

Remedial measures to be taken in order to prevent a repeat performance and for the improvement of football here in general will also be discussed, highlighting the need to hire a foreign coach for the team, which is also expected to give way to further discussion over the generation of funds for the PFF.

PFF’s budget for 2008 is stated to be around Rs5.5 crore. Discussion over the yearly budget would also include suggestions for overcoming the shortfall after FIFA’s annual $2.5 lac (approximately Rs1 crore 70 lac) help.

PFF’s women’s wing will also be presenting its recommendations regarding venues, team selection for the holding of the women’s national championship that is to follow the ongoing club championships.

PFF’s Vision 2020 about where the federation hopes to see football in Pakistan in the next 12 years is also going to form a part of the meeting’s agenda.

Our Sports Reporter from Lahore adds: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has proposed a new clause in its constitution, relating to the method of tabling the no confidence motion against any of its office-bearers.

The new clause is likely to be tabled before the Congress, which is meeting here on Saturday. The PFF circles are suspecting the clause of no confidence motion is being introduced to shelter President Faisal Saleh Hayat who is fearing that some powerhouses may try and remove him from the federation in the near future.

“Presently there is no clause for Vote of No Confidence in the constitution. This clause if introduced will give transparent option to the congress members to remove any office bearer if he repeatedly fails to perform his responsibilities as per PFF constitution,” the draft prepared for the proposed clause says.

According to the proposed clause:” a”: A vote of no confidence motion against any office bearers can be called by a minimum of 2/3rd Congress members (.e.g 14 out of 22 members) and in writing addressed to the general secretary.

b) The motion when presented to the general secretary shall clearly specify the reason etc for the motion against the said office bearers. It shall also mention the name of the candidate proposed for replacing the said office bearer(S) against whom the motion has to be moved.

c) The name proposed for the replacement of the office bearers shall be in accordance with rules, regulations and eligibility criteria of PFF.

d) The general secretary, upon receipt of the said motion as per article 91 (a) above shall call a special meeting of the Congress not earlier than 15 days and not later than30 days to discuss the aforementioned motion.”

Furthermore, no confidence motion will require 16 votes instead of 14, out of total 22 to be succeeded.