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Forcible occupation of Olympic House POA fails to get FIR registered against rival body Back To Main

Dawn News

LAHORE, Sept 3: Despite the passage of 30 hours, Arif Hasanled Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has failed to get an FIR registered against forcible occupation of the Olympic House by POA`s rival body headed by Akram Sahi.

A group belonging to Akram Sahi-led POA and headed by Khawaja Farooq Saeed and Zafar Abbas Lak occupied the Olympic House by force on Monday pleading it was their constitutional right since the government recognised their body.

Even two former IGs, Pakistan Federation Baseball president Shaukat Javed and Choudhary Mohammad Yaqoob of the Pakistan Volleyball Federationfailed to defy influence of the government over police station as they failed to get an FIR registered against vandalism of Akram-led POA.

However, Arif said that he would continue his fight through legal means and finally he would win it, too.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) which executive council meets in Brazil on Friday has been informed about the Monday`s incident, he maintained.

It may be mentioned here that the IOC executive council had already recommended banning Pakistan due to government interference, but the POA of Arif had suggested that it would be better to only ban those office-bearers of different national sports federations who with the support of thegovernment violate the IOC Charter in Pakistan.

It is important to be noted that a case is pending in the Supreme Court which may clear all the ambiguity over the legal standing of the POA.

However, instead of filing a contempt of court appeal against Arif for allegedly violating the Supreme Court decisions, both government and Akram Sahi`s group used state machinery to remove Arif-led POA from the Olympic House caring little about a potential ban against Pakistan.

Arif had defeated Akram Sahi and Qasim Zia`s groups in the POA elections held last February to hold the office for the third time. Since then both the losing groups with the support of the government had been at loggerheads with Arif.

The Pakistan HockeyFederation (PHF) which has been taking sides in the recent POA crises has finally sidelined itself on the eve of the POA elections held by Akram Sahi`s group on July 5.

Nonetheless, the national hockey team`s participation in the next year`s Commonwealth Games is in the doldrums due to previous meddling by the PHF in the POA affairs.

It must be noted that the government is backing Akram`s group, but Arif has the support of the IOC which has also threatened to ban Pakistan for government interference in the IOC Charter.

The newly-elected government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif seemingly following policies of the last PPP regime with regard to sports is also not ready to allow Arif to complete his third term, citing a Supreme Court`s decision.