KARACHI, May 7: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Wednesday said national sports policy was against its constitution and it would not be affected by the stoppage of funds by Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).
The vice-president of the PFF, Ghulam Abbas Baloch, said PFF would not be hit by the suspension of the annual aid with federation receiving a meagre amount as annual grant-in-aid from the PSB.
PSB suspended on Monday annual grants to 14 of its affiliated sports federations for resisting and not implementing the new national sports policy. The PFF is one of the 14 bodies who will be affected by the decision.
According to the national sports policy, those officials of the sports federations who have completed their terms twice are not eligible to contest for the third time.
Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has also challenged the national sports policy and moved the court, saying it violates the International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter.
Abbas said PSB offers merely Rs280,000 annually to the PFF which, he said, also depends on the “mood” of the PSB officials. “Firstly, the amount is insufficient to run the national football affairs. Secondly, PFF gets that amount if the PSB feels like giving it.”
The reason for PFF’s stance was not surprising as it gets $250,000 annually from the sport’s world ruling body FIFA which had provided one-million-dollar package from 1999 to 2002.
PFF became richer last year when FIFA announced it would provide one million dollars more as part of Financial Assistance Programme, making PFF the second richest sports body of the country after the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Abbas also contended another reason the PFF elections were not held before schedule was because it was unconstitutional but he agreed that PFF constitution could have been amended after holding a meeting.
“Apart from legal difficulty, how PFF can hold elections in tehsils where football does not exist and there are no clubs.
“However, now the elections would be held in August this year as per schedule. But that also depends on the meeting to set the date which must be chaired by the PFF president,” he said.
Abbas said despite the fact to hold the elections before the schedule was against the constitution, the polls could have been held but the PFF failed to convene its meeting.
Although Abbas was reluctant to say why the meetings could not be held, it is quite clear the game is suffering because of lack of interest by the top officials, PFF president Mian Mohammad Azhar and secretary Agha Liaquat Ali.
Pakistan’s Goal Project, a programme offered by FIFA to help underdeveloped countries to build infrastructure is in doldrums chiefly because of indifferent attitude of the officials.
Abbas said FIFA has set May 30 as new deadline for PFF to seek a piece of land for constructing its secretariat, academy and other facilities.
The project, which should have started early last year, was delayed and was set to begin last October. FIFA has been giving new deadlines to PFF since then due to officials’ apathy.