10-Jan-2012
THE NEWS
THE NEWS CORRESPONDENT
KARACHI: A group of former Olympians involved in a tussle with Pakistan’s hockey chiefs have submitted responses to legal notices served on the stalwarts by the PHF.
Islahuddin Siddiquil, the former Pakistan captain, told ‘The News’ on Monday that eight former Olympians have submitted their replies to the legal notices sent to them by the Pakistan Hockey Federation last month.
Ismat Mehdi, a Sindh High Court Advocate, is representing the former Olympians. “We have submitted our responses to the legal notices served on us by the PHF,” said Islah, a staunch critic of the PHF.
The group of disgruntled Olympians includes former Pakistan captain Shahnaz Sheikh, Samiullah, Shahbaz Senior, Ayaz Mehmood and several other former stalwarts. Last month, Shahnaz dropped a bombshell when he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani – PHF’s chief patron – on behalf of 13 Olympians in which he alleged that the federation has miserably failed in its campaign to put Pakistan hockey back on track.
Sheikh briefed Gilani that in spite of a record financial assistance provided by both the federal and provincial governments, PHF under Qasim Zia and Asif Bajwa (secretary), has failed to lift Pakistan hockey.
The letter also underlined long-standing allegations of human smuggling against the ‘present PHF’ and violation of the federation’s constitution. Sheikh highlighted the fact that
in spite of an injection of over half-a-billion rupees, Pakistan’s hockey team
has slumped to a worst-ever ninth place in international hockey. The PHF responded strongly by serving legal notices on the Olympians and threatening to file defamation suits of Rs500 million against each of them. |
