LAHORE - Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) president Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat has condemned the state-sponsored terrorism by so-called parallel PFF saying every legal step will be taken to get vacated the illegally-possessed PFF House.
Talking the reporters here at a local hotel Sunday, Faisal said: “Illegal possession of PFF house is vociferous violation of rules and an act of terrorism by so-called parallel PFF who beat and manhandled our senior officials and other staff members. Is this the way to run sports?” “When the Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected their petitions, they resorted to this. Police and local administration were fully behind the occupation. Since the incident took place we have been telling police but they are not taking any action,” Faisal added.
He said: “It does not mean that we cannot reciprocate. They have taken the game to such a level which seems absolutely abhorrent. “Sports Board Punjab (SBP), Col Farasat, Ali Noor Niazi, Rana Ashraf and Hafiz Salman Butt are actively involved in all these actions,” he alleged. Faisal questioned how 200 armed men entered the house located at a highly sensitive area of the Punjab capital. “It is a clear indication of the government’s involvement in these acts,” he said. However, Faisal made it clear that the incident would not affect the June 30 PFF elections at Changla Galli. “It will not affect the elections,” said Faisal, who will face Syed Zahir Shah in the elections.
“We will go till the end. Our three senior officials Col Ahmed Yar Lodhi, Major M Jehangir and Pervez Saeed Mir are injured. We surely will lodge an FIR against this act of terrorism and seek justice. The elections are being changed into a war which is not good,” he said. When asked whether the PFF would inform FIFA about what happened, Faisal replied: “There is no need to inform FIFA as they have already been monitoring the situation.”
Earlier, the so-called parallel PFF Saturday took possession of PFF headquarters under the leadership of Arshad Khan Lodhi and Col Farasat Ali Shah and expelled the staff of the FIFA-recognised PFF. It was learnt that several persons entered the PFF House Saturday and asked the PFF secretary Col Ahmed Yar Lodhi and his staff to leave the house immediately. “My staff and I were told to leave the house at around 4:20pm. I cannot say how many people had entered the house but I saw col Farasat, Rana Ashraf and Mehmood Khalid and a few others.”
I can’t say more this brutal and terrorist act but obviously, we will lodge an FIR,” PFF secretary Col Ahmed Yar Lodhi said.
On the other hand, Col Farasat denied this and said. “We did not have any arms with us. We peacefully took charge. The other day in Islamabad we held an extraordinary congress meeting in which we had the support of 17 members and we took the step of taking the charge as per constitution.”
“Nothing unpleasant happened. Lodhi peacefully gave us the charge and went home. Lodhi left his two brief cases which will be sent to his home. Nobody was manhandled. I had with me Arshad Khan Lodhi, Rana Ashraf and Mehmood Khalid,” said Farasat.