LAHORE, Oct 13: After the resignation of Mir Zafarullah Jamali as president Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Monday, vice-president Saeed Khan will preside over the Executive Board meeting which is scheduled to be held in Karachi on Tuesday.

PHF Secretary Asif Bajwa clarified that there was no plan to defer the meeting since it was a requisited one. Bajwa said the board meeting would be held after eight years since the body had been dissolved after the last meeting held in Karachi in June 2000. “In the last Congress meeting held in April this year, it was decided to revive the Executive Board,” he said.

The Board comprises secretaries of four provinces, two representatives from departments — Army, Railways — besides three technocrats including president women wing Barrister Shahida Jamil, PHF secretary general and the treasurer.

The PHF secretary said since former PHF secretary Khalid Mahmood had also resigned after the debacle in Beijing Olympics, therefore Saeed was named to preside over the meeting.

It may be mentioned here that Saeed had also presided over the meeting when Lt. Gen. (retd.) Aziz Khan took over the office as then president Akhtar Rasool had been sacked in the aftermath of a political change in the country in year 2000.

According to the agenda of the meeting, the house will approve the minutes of the previous meeting held in Karachi on June, 1, 2000. Approval of president’s action under article 19 (a), (iii) concerning the appointment of Mohammad Asif Bajwa as secretary general PHF will also be given while some amendments will be made in the PHF constitution.

Furthermore, the PHF secretary will present his ‘Master Plan’ for the resurrection of the hockey.

Committees including competitions, umpiring, discipline, development, and coaching committees will also be formed.

When asked about Jamali’s resignation, Bajwa said it was the former PM’s own decision to quit PHF post and he could not make any comment on it. He also denied he had any rift with Jamali who, he said, had approved his ‘Master Plan’ for the resurrection of hockey in Pakistan.

Sources said that Jamali preferred to resign as he had some reports that the executive board members may ask him in the meeting to resign, showing their no confidence.