ISLAMABAD - Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) minister Riaz Pirzada took strong notice of suspension of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) by the world football governing body FIFA termed Pakistan always abide by FIFA rules in true letter and spirit.
Talking to The Nation, the minister said: “We will not sit back and take up the suspension issue with the FIFA and send a high-level delegation to meet FIFA officials. Football is long suffering due to politics in Pakistan. The government didn’t interfere in the PFF affairs and we are highly optimistic that the FIFA will also understand our point and respect the verdict made by Pakistani judiciary.”
He said it seems our own people are involved in persuading FIFA to impose ban on Pakistan. “Instead of working for the betterment of football and players in particular, the PFF was more busy in fighting and never paid heed to improve Pakistan team’s rankings. I can claim with responsibility that neither the government nor the IPC and PSB can think about interfering in the PFF affairs.
“A long battle is being fought in the courts. Both the factions were claiming that they were right, but look what happened in the end, it is the country which suffered due to ban and also the soccer players who have already been striving to earn something for them and the country. The suspension will put negative impact on Pakistan football players and masses, who follow soccer blindly,” he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that the minister is completely unaware of Pakistan Football Federation situation as it was mentioned time and again that FIFA’s suspension on Pakistan is looming large and the government must act quickly or else Pakistan football will suffer. FIFA only recognise Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat-led body, but like witnessed in the past, the minister always remained busy in saving the blushes of his blue-eyed persons, rather than paying heed to resolve this all important issue.
The same minister was highly instrumental in dislodging Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) president Lt Gen (r) Syed Arif Hassan and issued series of statements against him, but everybody is fully aware of that bitter and harsh reality that the minister had to eat his words and was left with no other option but to accept Gen Arif as POA chief. Millions of rupees were spent on conducting the National Games under the government-backed POA president Maj Gen (r) M Akram Sahi while an inquiry of financial embezzlements is still pending.
The IPC minister must answer the simple question that why he kept mum on sorry state of PFF affairs, why did he never bother to act when the FIFA suspension was looming large.
The time is high when the person, who doesn’t know the ABC of sports, should be fired immediately and only technocrats must be brought in to run the sports affairs in a befitting manner. If Riaz Pirzada is not sacked timely, he will continue to inflict huge damages on the national sports federation and Pakistan will be left high and dry at international level. Due to his negligence and self-styled policies, Pakistan sports and athletes have been suffering a lot while football players will further suffer a lot due to this FIFA ban.
Meanwhile, former PFF secretary and former MNA Hafiz Suleman Butt termed FIFA’s suspension as a step in the right direction. Terming PFF officials as highly corrupt, he said: “The PFF will provide an opportunity to the organisers and footballers of the country to unite and start afresh the activities of soccer.”
He said that consultation with footballers all over Pakistan is going on and the future programme of Pakistan football will be announced today (Thursday) in a press conference to be held in Islamabad at a local hotel at 2pm.
