POA wants top level interference to resolve sports policy dispute
President, Pakistan Olympic Association, Lt Gen (retd) Syed Arif Hasan has called for the intervention of the highest order in resolving the ongoing dispute over the implementation of the sports policy in order to avert any action from International Olympic Association.
Addressing a press conference Lt Gen (retd) Syed Arif Hasan said: “It is in the larger interest of our country’s sports to resolve this issue as soon as possible because any forced action on implementing sports policy on POA or national sports federations can damage the Olympic spirit in Pakistan and will be in violation of the Olympic charter and may draw any extreme action or sanctions from IOC,“. Also present were, Secretary, POA, Mohammad Khalid Mahmood, President, Volleyball Federation Ch Mohammad Yaqoob and President Pakistan Baseball Federation Shoukat Javed.
Gen Arif appealed to the President and Prime Minister to look into the matter to safeguard the interest of sports in the country. “It is a very important issue which needs immediate attention of the highest authorities of the country “,he said adding “positive efforts are needed for an amicable resolve of the issue“, he asserted.
POA Chief said the special executive committee of Pakistan Sports Board is being held today, (Thursday) to implement the sports policy is unlawful as it will be attended by selected groups of national sports federations and even those office bearers of the national federations, associations or departments who are not the member s of the executive committee but are affiliated or recognized by the PSB.
“This meeting has no legal status as necessary formalities were not fulfilled and a ten-day notice was not served for holding the meeting “,he said adding “PSB itself selected office bearers from different national federations for attending the meeting as the sports federations are bound to nominate their own representatives for attending such meeting s”.
He denied that at any stage he has threatened to provoke the IOC or OCA for taking the highest action of suspending Pakistan in case PSB forcefully implements the sports policy. “I have no authority or role to persuade IOC or OCA to do so as these are the independent bodies working for safe guarding the cause of sports and they get into action as they are closely mon- itoring the situation and may initiate action as per the Olympic charter.
Gen Arif said the supreme court in its verdict on sports policy as clearly stated that POA which is an independent body and is not affiliated with PSB, is not affected by its judgment and remain unaffected by its present decision.
“Instead implementing Supreme court verdict, PSB sent it to the Law ministry for a clarification which stated “the judgment of the supreme court is clear and self explanatory and should be implemented in true letter and spirit “,he said.
POA Chief said the same matter was discussed at a recent meeting of IOC held in Switzerland and nothing positive was done to resolve the issue and now calling an special executive committee meeting of PSB has further complicated the situation.