KARACHI, Aug 9: Karachi hockey officials have asked the new PHF secretary to recognize the present Karachi Hockey Association (KHA) set up, remove those involved in rigging of polls or face court proceedings.

In a bid to resolve Karachi hockey crisis, secretary Akhtarul Islam met the KHA secretary Gulfaraz Ahmad here on Monday to discuss the issue and to find out if an out of court settlement could be reached.

Sources said Gulfaraz, who is the elected secretary of the KHA which has been granted interim relief by Sindh High Court on March 23, demanded Akhtar to either recognize the elected group led by him or face the court proceedings.

Gulfaraz demanded that the two hockey officials — director administration Iftikhar Syed and director domestic hockey Muhammad Shafique — should be sacked immediately.

The KHA official has been pressing for the removal of the two officials since they are said to be involved in manipulating and rigging of the KHA elections.

Akhtar was informed that the Karachi association was not allowed to use UBL Sports Complex by the then vice-president UBL Mansoor Masood Khan, although the officials were willing to pay Rs 150,000 for the venue.

“Mansoor Masood Khan, who was the then vice-president of UBL, didn’t allow KHA to use the facility since he was a close friend of the then secretary Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan.

“It is a known fact that Musarrat was at loggerheads with KHA. And it was on Musarrat’s behest that Masood refused KHA the use of the facility,” sources quoted Gulfaraz as telling Akhtar.

While Akhtar said he assured the KHA official that he would look into the situation before taking any decision, he agreed to remove Shafique but hesitated on showing Iftkihar the door for reasons better known to him.

The KHA elections were postponed on Jan 6 amid chaos and allegations of attempted rigging by some quarters. Ejazuddin and Gulfaraz both were “elected” on Jan 24 by the Sindh Sports Minister, Qamar Mansoor as secretaries for two years each to complete a four-year term.

The decision, which was unique and unprecedented, was taken after both sides showed reluctance on settling their differences regarding the voters.

It was decided that since Ejaz had majority of votes he will be the secretary while Gulfaraz will serve as associated secretary during the first two years before the posts will be inter-changed for another two years.

Crisis, however, deepened when elections were held again on March 10. Gulfaraz this time charged Musarrat with hatching conspiracies for installing favourites.

Zafar Iqbal and Gulfaraz were finally elected unopposed as president and secretary of KHA respectively on March 12 while Ejaz group refrained from contesting the elections. The polls were held under the supervision of Sindh Sports Board and election coordinator Qamar Mansoor.

The situation further aggravated when Musarrat constituted a committee to probe the scrutiny of the clubs and take care of Karachi hockey affairs, refusing to accept the elected body. Interestingly, Akhtar was very much at the centre of that controversy when he was nominated convener of the so-called committee.

PHF, however, ate a humble pie when Gulfaraz-led group moved court against Kirmani, Musarrat and Akhtar and the remaining members of the PHF-appointed committee.

On March 23, Justice Mushir Alam restrained PHF from interfering into the KHA affairs till the next date of hearing. The case is still pending in the court.

“From the bailiff’s report, it transpires that notices have been received by the office of defendant No 1 (Kirmani). Defendants No 3 (Akhtarul Islam), 4 , 5 and 7 were reported to be present in the Hockey Club of Pakistan but bailiff was not allowed inside.

“In addition to that, he was given wrong information of their non-availability. Under present circumstances, the defendants are restrained from interfering into the affairs of plaintiff till next date of hearing,” said the judge’s order.