PESHAWAR, Dec 29: Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday suspended an additional sessions judge order regarding the elections of the NWFP Hockey Association and scrutiny of hockey clubs in the province by the Pakistan Hockey Federation.

A single bench comprising Justice Saleem Khan directed the petitioner, Hidayatullah Khan, the secretary general of Peshawar District Hockey Association, to appear before the court of additional district and sessions judge on Jan 5.

The court ordered that till Jan 5 the impugned order of additional district and sessions judge should remain suspended.

The court of senior civil judge Ahsanullah Mehsud had on Dec 22 gave stay order against the elections of the NWFP Hockey Association and suspended the directives of the PHF’s secretary Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan, regarding scrutiny of hockey clubs in the province.

The order was issued by the civil court over an application by Hidayatullah filed along with main plaint, requesting the court to declare the elections schedule and the scrutiny of the clubs as unconstitutional and illegal.

The senior civil judge had also put on notice the federal secretary sports and culture, the PHF president, Tariq Kirmani, secretary Brig Musarrat and the provincial coordinator for scrutiny, Malik Naveed, the director of the Federal Investigation Agency, NWFP.

Brig Musarrat and Malik Naveed have filed an appeal against the order of the civil judge, stating the civil court had erred in giving staying order against the polls.

Ms Nusrat Yasmeen who represented petitioner before high court, contended the appellate court of additional district and sessions judge had vacated the stay order issued by the civil court without hearing the plaintiff.

She argued the provincial coordinator for scrutiny had violated the constitution of PHF. She added that the provincial coordinator had nor been not empowered to announce the schedule of the elections.

She contended those districts were entitled to form district association where three or more than three clubs had been established.

She added coordinator took arbitrary step and changed the rule without the approval of the PHF’s congress, considering the districts where there were more than five clubs.