ISLAMABAD: The split within the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), between the groups led by Faisal Saleh Hayat and Zahir Shah, has now seen the Islamabad Football Association (IFA) divided.

The Shah-backed group is set to move a no-confidence motion against incumbent IFA president Dr Fazal-ur-Rehman on Thursday with sources telling Dawn that it is likely they will manage to topple the IFA chief as they enjoy support of 28 members out of 32.

For an approval of a no-confidence move, the Shah-led group require 24 votes.

Sources told that Dr Fazal had, in writing, given an assurance to the IFA General Council that he will give his voting right at the PFF Congress to sitting MNA Tariq Fazal Chaudhry who was due to vote for Shah in the PFF presidential elections.

Shah was fighting against PFF president Hayat in the elections which were scheduled for June 30 but the PFF then split into two factions with the splinter group then suspending Hayat through an Extraordinary Congress.

The interim PFF chief named through that Congress, Arshad Khan Lodhi, filed a petition against Hayat in the Lahore High Court (LHC), which granted a stay order and restrained both parties from holding elections.

Hayat, however, ignored court orders as he held elections in Changla Gali which saw him elected for a fourth term as PFF chief and while Shah did not participate in the polls, Dr Fazal voted for Hayat.

The LHC, last Thursday, declared the elections null and void whilst issuing a contempt notice to Hayat and PFF secretary Col Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi.

“The IFA General Council had decided to vote for Shah and not Hayat,” council member Sharafat Bukhari said on Wednesday.

“The IFA president had submitted an affidavit that he would not cast his vote and would rather give his voting right to MNA Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

“However, he negated the affidavit a voted for Hayat which is why we are going to de-seat him through a no-confidence motion.”

Former IFA president Bukhari added that Dr Fazal had defied General Council and Executive Committee’s directives during his 12 years tenure.

“He didn’t even hold league matches during the last three years,” Bukhari added. “Bringing a no-confidence motion is a democratic way to get rid of a person who did nothing worth talking for the improvement of the game.”

Meanwhile, Dr Fazal said that he has little regard for such moves and said he was going to counter it.

“It’s true that a so-called no confidence motion is all set to move against me on Thursday but I don’t care,” he told Dawn.

“I have never asked anyone to support me as under the current circumstances, I don’t want to carry on. I’m waiting for the appropriate time to counter all these moves.”

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2015

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