PHF top brass violating constitution, says Saleem
KARACHI, Dec 27: The associate secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Saleem Nazim on Monday alleged the top officials were involved in violation of constitution by inviting un-elected individuals to attend Tuesday's Congress meeting.
"I am an elected not a nominated office-bearer of the PHF but have not been invited to attend tomorrow's meetings, although I have requested the officials to send invitation. "The PHF trop brass are working together and could do anything to remove anybody who raises voice against their damaging policies," Saleem said.
PHF is scheduled to hold Council and Congress meetings in Lahore to take important decisions. Saleem, who was suspended as secretary of the Punjab Hockey Association (PHA) four months ago, said he should have been invited since he had been elected associate secretary as a representative from Punjab and not as a secretary of PHA.
"I wrote to PHF president to intervene and look into the matter after I was suspended as PHA secretary. According to article 27 of the constitution, the PHF chief should have heard me before taking any decision.
"The fact of the matter is I have not received any official letter regarding my suspension as PHA secretary after a lapse of four months," he said. Saleem alleged that PHF had called Hidayatullah instead of Mohammad Arshad to represent Bahawalpur at the Congress, although he was not an official of any Bahawalpur club.
The official said top PHF officials had also expelled Rana Mujahid from Okara and Sami Khan from Sahiwal to "elect" their favourites who could return favours during the meetings.
"What the PHF hierarchy is doing is illegal and in violation of the constitution. How could any elected officials from the districts be thrown out of the system all of a sudden without justification?
"How could the PHF put its own hand-picked persons unlawfully, without holding elections? "All this is being done to silence the critics and place people who don't dare to challenge the PHF officials at meetings," he alleged.