The Lahore High Court (LHC) has recently ordered Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) President Faisal Saleh Hayat, to step down.
The LHC judgement, says that Hayat has been the football chief since 2003 and cannot be president for a fourth four-year term.
The judgement by Justice Mohammad Farrukh Irfan also dismissed the Writ Petition No. 21071-2012, filed by the PFF challenging the constitutionality of the Sports Ordinance 1962.
“The election of the PFA held on 17.04.2015 and the resultant notification dated 20.04.2015 and so also the election held on 12.05.2015 and the resultant notification dated 14.05.2015 and thereafter the so-called election of the PFF held on 30.05.2016 are declared as illegal, void, ab-initio, collusive and malafide, therefore, all are hereby set aside,” says the judgement.
It has also ruled the nugatory controversial elections of the Punjab Football Association (PFA) in April last year.
In last year’s election, which took place on April 17, Sardar Naveed Haider Khan of the Hayat Group, was considered as the winner.
But his victory came after several voting members of the other group of his rival and persistent president Arshad Khan Lodhi were banned by the PFF’s Disciplinary Committee.
Due to this, the LHC directed the Sports Board Punjab (SBP) to hold fresh elections of the PFA and were held on May 12 last year.
The Hayat group, however, went on to hold the elections and that resulted in a drawn-out court battle before the LHC appointed retired Justice Asad Munir as PFF Administrator.
According to the judgement, the Administrator now has to assist in holding fresh elections of the PFF.
“A panel of three persons including secretary Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), secretary SBP and secretary Sports Board Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (SBKP) is constituted to act as electoral committee which will manage and conduct fresh elections of PFA and PFF in accordance with the relevant provisions of the PFF Constitution, Rules and Regulations within a period of four months,” says the judgement.
“The secretary PSB will be the chairperson of the aforesaid electoral committee. After the said elections, control of the PFF will be peacefully handed over to the elected office-bearers by the Administrator appointed by this Court. The Administrator will cooperate with the electoral committee in conducting the elections.”
