LAHORE, March 30: The first-ever Pakistan-India football series will be played as planned in June, said a top official of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Wednesday.

“The Indian side will be visiting Pakistan between June 10-20 and the three-match-Test series is likely to be played on June 12,16 and 18 and we will be finalising the tour itinerary after getting approval from All India Football Federation’, said Arshad Khan Lodhi, secretary PFF.

Lodhi was talking to a delegation led by Anis Ahmed Khan, President, Lahore District Football Association, Former skippers Ghulam Sarwar, Mukhtar Ali and other prominent players Zahid Luqman, Muhammad Munir, Farooq Aziz, Ejaz Ali, Samuel Gill, Imtiaz Butt, Muhammad Majeed, Iftikahr Ali, Muslim Butt and coaches Ahmed Shahab Butt, Arif Zaman Khan and Muhammad Rafiq.

Lodhi dispelled an impression given in a section of press that the tour was not on and the AIFF was not aware of such a series.

“It is just a baseless propaganda and we are in constant touch with our Indian counterparts to finalise the series “, he added.

He said president PFF, Faisal Saleh Hayat, who is also keen to establish football ties between two South Asian countries, has also announced to hold the Pakistan-India match on English soil,

Faisal, he said, during his recent visit to England visited leading English football clubs Arsenal FC, Aston Villa FC and Queen’s Park Rangers FC.

“He has also planned to seek their support for uplifting the game in Pakistan”, said the PFF Secretary.

“AIFF president Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, and general secretary Alberto Colaco want a series to promote football in sub-continent and AIFF officials also contacted PFF Director Technical Lt. Col (R) Mujahid Ullah Khan for the series when he was in Kuala Lumpur to attend a one-day workshop of AFC President’s Cup recently”, Lodhi explained.

The last international soccer meeting between Pakistan and India was held at Dhaka’s Bangabandhu National Stadium on Jan 20, 2003 when India grabbed third place in 5th SAFF Championship by winning the bronze decider 2-1.

The delegation said that the stars of yester years want to promote soccer at grass root level and their services are available to PFF for the cause of football.

A member of the delegation, Anis, also suggested that prominent former players should be given task to prepare Pakistani players in training camps.

The delegation members appreciated the construction of Football House in Lahore and praised the sincere efforts of PFF president and secretary for the development of football at all levels in the country.—APP