KARACHI, July 20: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), still smarting from secretary Musarrat Ullah Khan’s shock resignation on Wednesday, is reluctant to name a replacement for the key official prior to the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Executive Board elections.

PHF chief Tariq Kirmani on Wednesday said that a change of secretary at this stage will disturb things a lot and that Musarrat should continue to perform his duties at the Lahore-based PHF secretariat till September.

According to reliable hockey sources, Musarrat himself is keen on getting renominated from PHF for the post of FIH Executive Board member, a position he had been holding since 2002 besides his PHF job. The elections of FIH are scheduled to be held in September.

It will, however, be quite awkward if Musarrat is re-elected for the position since the post should only be held by a serving PHF official.

As for the handling of PHF secretary’s affairs, a senior associate secretary should have been given the task to run the secretary’s office till the elections, as has been the normal practice in the annals of federation.

In June 2000, the then senior associate secretary Zahir Shah worked as acting secretary for almost three weeks when the then PHF president Arif Ali Abbasi suspended his secretary Brig Manzoor Hussain Atif at a Council meeting in Peshawar.

However, in Musarrat’s case Kirmani has avoided the appointment of an acting secretary although Saleem Nazim claims that being the senior associate secretary, he should have been given the temporary charge.

Saleem, who was first suspended and then debarred by Punjab Hockey Association (PHA) in December 2004 for allegedly violating constitution, claims he is still the associate secretary as PHF president has never officially intimated him about his removal.

“PHF constitution’s article 10 (c) says that only the president of the PHF can suspend any office-bearer on charges of misconduct or violation of the constitution. But the fact is that I have never been sent any official letter by Kirmani,” Saleem told Dawn from Faisalabad.

Another associate secretary Jawaid Quddusi had tendered resignation in 2004 for health reasons and was replaced by Ramzan Jamali for 2004-2006 term while Saleem was appointed in 2002.

Saleem further contended that according to constitution’s article 27 (i) Kirmani didn’t give him a patient hearing, although he had sent no less than 11 written appeals to the president.

“In this situation, how can anybody claim that I am not the associate secretary? I would say that Kirmani should remove Musarrat immediately without giving him time to mani-

pulate the official files at the secretariat,” said the former Olympian.

According to Saleem, Kirmani flouted rules in December 2005 as well when he appointed

one Pervaiz Bhindara as the federation’s treasurer after Iqbal Bali had quit in protest over Musarrat’s unprofessional approach.

Kirmani approved the name of Pervaiz without consulting the Council since he had been nominated by Musarrat.

Even now, Kirmani’s plan to “nominate” a candidate for the secretary’s office is also debatable and has created confusion as, according to constitution, any vacancy in office should only be filled by the Council. Saleem also claimed that PHF has not held its Congress meetings since 2004.