Anomalies in Pakistan Football Federation: National Assembly Standing Committee seeks clarification

Anomalies in Pakistan Football Federation: National Assembly Standing Committee seeks clarification

LAHORE: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Sports, in black and white, has asked Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) president Faisal Saleh Hayat several questions regarding the financial and other administrative affairs of the federation. The questionnaire, containing 28 questions, was handed over to the PFF general secretary Ahmad Yar Lodhi during a meeting held here on December 17. Faisal was invited by the committee but he sent his secretary to attend the meeting.

A copy of the questionnaire asked to clear if some of the employees of a textile mill, owned by president PFF, are getting salaries from the federation. The names of four such employees are also mentioned in the questionnaire, which has also raised objection that the PFF director finance Miss Nadia Naqvi was appointed without giving any advertisement in newspapers.

The PFF is also facing an allegation that Mrs Diana Sharifi — an Afghan national — was sent to Jordan with the Pakistan women’s team and she was also appointed as regional women’s football development officer, having no football background.

The questionnaire also contains an objection over the appointment of Pervaiz Saeed Mir as director technical, alleging he had no experience in football coaching or in its administration. It has also expressed concerns about PFF director marketing Naveed Haider, who has shifted his business to Malaysia and staying there.

According to another allegation, Faisal and his family members are using the federation’s vehicles, and moreover, the PFF president had sent his friends on foreign tours to oblige them. The committee also sought the comment on the role of national team’s coach George Kottan (an Austrian) for which the Prime Minister had given a special grant of Rs20 million.

The questionnaire further asked what the performance of the national team under Kottan was in the recently concluded SAFF Championship, held in Bangladesh. And why Pakistan’s national captain Essa Khan tendered the resignation after the SAFF Championship. The committee has also asked Faisal whether the PFF accounts are audited. Furthermore, the committee also asked various questions about the FIFA Goal Project, which has been built in Lahore and another one is to be constructed in Karachi.