LAHORE: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Faisal Saleh Hayat group has filed an appeal before the Supreme Court of Pakistan against three decisions of the Lahore High Court.

Renowned lawyer Asma Jahangir will contest the case, if the petition is accepted by the apex court.

The appointment of an administrator by the LHC for the PFF to run its affairs and to hold fresh polls of the PFF has been challenged by the Faisal group besides questioning the LHC decision to declare null and void the elections of the PFF (Faisal group) held on June 30 in Chagla Gali, Abbottabad.

The third decision of the LHC which is challenged in the apex court is related to the conduct of PFF elections in Abbottabad.

It may be mentioned that the PFF has been split into two factions due to war between the two groups. While Faisal is heading one group, the other is currently holding the PFF House with an acting set-up of Arshad Khan Lodhi as president and Col. Farasat Ali as secretary.

The acting set-up was announced after an Extraordinary Congress of the PFF held in Islamabad on June 16. Later on, the acting set-up took control of the PFF when around 150 people entered forcibly into PFF House and got vacated the premises.

However, later, a joint delegation of FIFA and the AFC visited Lahore and met Faisal and his main rival group led by Zahir Ali Shah to sort out the issues.

The delegation has asked the acting set-up to hand over the PFF House to the Faisal group and accept him as a genuine PFF president till Aug 31. The delegation has also declared Extraordinary Congress meeting as null and void.

During this time period an LHC decision came under which an administrator has been appointed who is yet to take the charge.

Sources said footballs and other equipment worth millions of rupees had been disappeared from the store room of the PFF House as some opportunists took away the equipment while taking advantage of the chaotic situation.

The Faisal group is yet to get an FIR registered against the acting set-up.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2015

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