LAHORE: The Punjab Football Association (PFA) Extra-ordinary Congress has removed its president Sardar Navid Haider and banned him from football activities for five years.

“Navid Haider is suspended for five years, by virtue of which he stands removed; PFA Congress ratifies the decision of PFA Executive Committee made on 28 Nov 2018 and takes a step ahead. Extra-Ordinary Congress is convened on the request of more than one third members of PFA,” a press release by the body stated on Saturday.

“According to the details, already suspended President of Punjab Football Association, Navid Haider Khan the tenure of his suspension has been extended to five years under the article 25 (m) of the PFF Statutes by the Punjab Association’s Congress in its meeting held here at Lahore today on 4 April 2019. He (Navid) is no more the president of PFA; 23 out of 37 members

of PFA has voted in favour of suspension of Navid Haider for five years,” it added.

The statement said the provincial football body will now be lead by its vice presidents Sheikh Iqbal, Khalid Iqbal and Rana Shaukat Ali until a new president is elected.

PFA said it has removed Naveed after ‘serious allegations’ were framed against him by the association’s Executive Body.

The allegations included “changing of the names of PFA representatives without the approval of PFA Executive Committee for the PFF Elections 2018, not holding the PFA Congress, not appointing the PFA General Secretary, joining the group of illegal people who has played a key role to destroy the football in Pakistan.”

Sardar, in response has termed PFA’s step illegal and has claimed the Executive Body’s tenure has ended on March 30 and that new elections are yet to be held. He said, until then, he is the PFA president.

Sardar said the PFA meeting was unconstitutional as no requisition was tabled to convene the meeting, which was necessary 15 days before its holding. He said it was all the drama staged by Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat (head of Sardar’s opposite group) to show to the FIFA delegation, which is set to tourPakistan on May 28 and 29, that Punjab was with him.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2019