SHC issues stay order on Pakistan Football Federation elections

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday ordered Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) to maintain the status quo within the organisation including the matter related to the election.

The order was passed by Justice Arshad Hussain Khan while hearing a suit filed by Ansar Union Football Club, Karachi.

The plaintiff submitted that PFF on August 21 and October 7 had issued letters inviting all football clubs to take part in the election process of the club. However, the Karachi-based club contended that no such letters were sent to the plaintiff despite functioning in the country for over 60 years.

The plaintiff stated that since 2018, Ashfaq Hussain had been claiming himself to be the president of PFF. He added that the sports global governing body Federation International De Football Association (FIFA) had disaffiliated PFF due to the rift among its different factions. It had also appointed a Normalisation Committee with Haroon Malik as its chairman.

However, the plaintiff contended that Ashfaq Hussain illegally took possession of FIFA House in Lahore. Recently, the plaintiff submitted a stay order that had been obtained from a Civil Court of Lahore to prevent Ashfaq from acquiring authority PFF’s different banks.

The plaintiff submitted that according to the PFF’s constitution it would not remain a legitimate federation if it was disaffiliated by FIFA. While Pakistan Sports Board only recognises federations as the country’s representative of a sport if they have an affiliation with an international body of that sport.

The plaintiff claimed that the only objective of Hussain and his cronies to hold the elections was to continue occupying the FIFA House. He also alleged that the group wants to usurp the funds the international federation had provided for the development and promotion of football in Pakistan.

The plaintiff prayed the court to declare the exercise of holding election illegal and grant a permanent injunction against Ashfaq and his illegal and unrepresentative fraction of PFF.

The court after hearing the counsel for the plaintiff has issued notice to the defendants and ordered the parties to maintain the status quo in the matter till the next date of hearing.