KARACHI, Jan 4: With the clock still ticking before the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) carries through its threat of shifting FIFA Goal Project II from Karachi, hundreds of football lovers gathered outside Football House in Chakiwara, Lyari, on Sunday to register their protest over the situation.

The crowd, which included many young and old football enthusiasts as well as people associated with the sport, burned PFF President Faisal Saleh Hayat’s effigy while chanting slogans against him.

“The PFF had us cornered. We had no choice but to turn to the people. We wanted to inform them about the injustices being carried out against the footballers of Karachi by the PFF,” said Sindh Football Association’s (SFA) Executive Committee member Nasir Karim Baloch while speaking to Dawn.

The protest was prompted after the PFF president threatened to shift the FIFA Goal Project II from Karachi to Quetta.

According to the PFF, the 10-acre land acquired by the SFA for the project in Scheme 42 of Hawkesbay needs to be transferred to the PFF to start work on the project.

It was explained that this was a legal necessity as FIFA deals with the PFF and not the SFA.

“Even the PPP District South President Haji Mohammad Qasim Baloch attended the demonstration. He told the people that he would even approach President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Federal Minister for Sports Pir Aftab Shah Gilani and Sindh’s Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah for keeping the project in Karachi.

“It was also heartwarming to see so many people on our side today. FIFA Goal Project II is going no where now. The project will stay in Karachi,” declared Nasir Baloch who is also the chairman of the Karachi City Zonal Football Association (KCZFA) Zone IV.

PFF’s deadline for getting an NOC from the Sindh government to transfer the land falls on Monday.

About SFA’s getting an NOC in time for the transfer of land to the PFF, the association’s treasurer Rahim Baloch said: “I will be accompanying the Sindh Minister for Katchi Abadis Rafique Engineer, who is also SFA’s patron-in-chief to meet with Director General, Lyari Development Authority Agha Masood.”

He hinted that the PFF might extend the deadline by a couple of days.

Meanwhile, Rafique Engineer said: “I am not speaking in the capacity of the SFA patron or a football lover but as a Sindh minister when I tell you that Faisal Saleh Hayat doesn’t want the project to be built in Karachi.

“Faisal was in the government when the Goal Project was awarded to Karachi and I approached him for providing us with the land here. He showed no interest. We kept struggling to find a piece of land and it didn’t happen until after the PPP came into power and Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah complied.

“Now that we finally have the land, they are coming up with all kinds of hassles and excuses along with giving us short deadlines.

“Both Faisal Saleh Hayat and FIFA’s Assistant Development Officer Mohsen Gilani had been kept informed regarding the deed of lease from the beginning. I ask them to review their past statements about how satisfied they were with the way everything was being done instead of contradicting themselves now. Still we will fulfill their new legal requirement,” he concluded.