The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) condemns in strongest possible terms the unauthorized and illegal elections of the Sindh Olympic Association reportedly held on April 7, at Karachi under the aegis of what itself is an unlawful body – the so-called interim POA created by vested interests backed by some federal government functionaries.
It may be noted that the Islamabad High Court has also issued a stay order, restraining the operation of the so-called Interim Committee while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already branded it as an illegal body. The elections of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA) have already been held under its constitution with its term running from 2012 to 2015, with its office bearers being: Syed Waseem Hashmi, Acting President and Chairman (in place of Late Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah), Mr. Ahmed Ali Rajput, Secretary General and Syed Saeed Jamil, Treasurer, said an official POA statement.
The POA recognizes only the above office-bearers and considers the elections held by the so-called Interim Committee of POA as fraudulent because neither does this body have any jurisdiction nor any locus standi.
And only the POA has the authority to supervise the elections of the provincial associations for they are the legal constituents of the POA – an independent and autonomous body that is recognized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the IOC.
Another aspect of the bogus elections held with mala fide intent was the people gathered from various provincial associations who were not even bona fide members of the SOA.
The POA’s loud and clear instructions to all sporting entities in Sindh are: anyone having any dealing whatsoever with the bogus SOA will face suspension, just as the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP), Pakistan Netball Federation (PNF) and the Islamabad Olympic Association (IOA) have previously been suspended by the POA under intimation to the international sporting federations.
It is pertinent to mention here that the so-called Interim Committee of POA headed by Mr. Asif Bajwa filed a civil suit in the court of Mr. Muhammad Adnan Jamali Civil Judge 1st Class Islamabad against Lt Gen Retired Syed Arif Hasan and others posing itself as the legitimate body. The court not only rejected its plea, but also fined the litigant for concealing facts.
The news item appearing in a section of the press dated 8 April, 2013 reports that observer of the so- called Interim Committee of POA namely Mr. Iftikhar Hussain Syed (Olympian) participated in the process. It is interesting to note that the Interim Committee despite the rejection of its suit and fined by the court is still continuing in its nefarious and foul methods to bring infamy and chaos in Pakistan sports.
