President, Pakistan Olympic Association, Lt Gen retd ,Syed Arif Hasanhas said that the International Olympic Committee has taken serious view of the formation of a provincial Olympic Committee by the so-called interim committee of the POA.
‘This matter is in the knowledge of IOC which will also discuss it in its meeting next month in Switzerland’, he told newsmen here on Wednesday at the closing ceremony of the national women cycling championship.
POA Chief sounded very confident when asked that the recent decisions of the interim committee to disrupt the smooth working of POA , saying they are illegal steps which are in clear violation of Olympic charter and can draw an action of the IOC.
‘Our so far positive efforts have averted any disciplinary action or suspension by the IOC as we are trying to resolve the issue with mutual understanding through dialogue with those who are aiming to cause confusion with their time to time announcements and actions,’ he added.
‘Our doors are open to everyone but we will not tolerate any illegal action or formation of parallel provincial Olympic association as recently announced in Sindh,’ said Gen Arif.
He said IOC is hand in hand with POA on every affair pertaining to POA which is up-dating the world body on every issue arising in Pakistan sports.
To a question the POA President made it clear that the interim committee has no legal authority or a mandate to send teams abroad as announced by it few days ago that it would be sending Pak contingent to Islamic Games Indonesia.
‘First of all the Interim committee is not aware that these games have been postponed and its fresh dates will be announced in due course of time, secondly no country is going to accept or to allow the participation of a illegal contingent which is not approved by the POA,’ he added. He disclosed that the POA has finalised the strength Pak contingent for the Islamic Games and the accreditation process of players and officials have been completed.
He termed the recent decisions of the interim committee as ‘ pressure tactics ‘to cause confusion and to keep pressure under POA which was not bothered by such methods.
Answering question, he said, the announcement of holding the national games by the interim committee in Islamabad in June is another illegal step to harm the interest of sports in Pakistan.
‘National Games were held in Lahore earlier this year and POA does not recognize the holding of these ‘bogus games’, Gen Arif said.
He said the dispute in the cycling federation will soon be resolved as the POA was in touch with international cycling federation on this issue.
