KARACHI, Sept 22: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has deprived four elected officials from representing their district at Monday’s Congress to allegedly accommodate its favourites.

Four Karachi district officials — Syed Nasim Hassan (central/west zone), Gulfaraz Ahmad (Malir zone), Shams-us-Zaman (south zone), and Arif Ashraf (east zone) — were elected for the representation in the Congress in January earlier this year.

The PHF had also issued the letters on Sept 11, 2002, to the four officials inviting them to attend the Congress meeting.

Surprisingly, the PHF through a letter CM/61, dated Sept 17, 2002, addressed to secretary of the Sindh Hockey Association (SHA), Jawaid M. Quddusi, changed the four officials without stating any valid reason.

The letter was signed by the secretary of the PHF, Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan.

The Congress meets Monday in Lahore to elect the president, secretary, two vice-presidents, two associate secretaries, and a treasurer.

The four new officials who will now be attending the Congress are Abdul Azim Khan, Jawaid M. Quddusi, Anwar Ali Roomi, and Zafar Iqbal. Jawaid, Zafar and Muhammad Ramzan Jamali will represent Sindh at the Council.

However, according to Jawaid, the four officials had been replaced on the instructions of PHF secretary because of what he said a lacuna which was overlooked and surfaced only recently.

“The four names of the officials have been changed since they are not the members of Sindh’s body which is a pre-requisite for becoming a Congress member.

“And another point is that Zafar (Iqbal) and I would not have been able to contest the polls as we were not the representatives elected for the PHF Congress,” Jawaid conceded.

Jawaid, also the SHA secretary, admitted that all the four officials replaced were elected as the representatives for the Congress according to the official notification.

“I can’t understand why the PHF did not find out the said lacuna earlier, and pointed out only six days before the elections,” Jawaid said.

According to the PHF constitution, the eligibility rules do not mention that any official elected for the representation in Congress must also be member of the provincial association.

Clause 12 (a) (i) reads: “One representative from each of the eligible district hockey associations elected by the DHA, duly affiliated with its respective provincial hockey association subject to the following proviso, read with proviso to (d) (ii) which says “(to elect the office-bearers of the federation for period of four years).

(c) A district hockey association having five or more approved and affiliated clubs within the administrative boundary of the district shall have the right to vote and contest any office/membership of the Council.”

Since the districts from where officials have been changed, have more than five clubs each, they are eligible to vote and contest the elections as per sub clause c.

Jawaid said, after the latest development, he had now become eligible to use his right of franchise and would also be contesting for the post of associate secretary.

Since the constitution does not support the reason given by the PHF, it seems the step was taken to induct individuals of personal liking and to counter any possible resistance at the elections.