NC body bans Zahir for establishing ‘parallel Congress’

ISLAMABAD: Zahir Shah, who was enjoying an absolute majority in the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Congress, has been banned for ten years by the NC Disciplinary Committee on the pretext that he was involved in establishment of parallel Congress on June 16, 2015, an allegation that he (Zahir Shah) denied, saying he was never part of that Congress.

The Disciplinary Committee comprising Acting Deputy Chairman Mohammad Ali (Head), Zarak Zaman Khan and Malik Maqsood Ahmad (members) declared that after evaluating all the peculiar facts and circumstances, and having duly considered the documentary record, testimonial evidence, and applicable legal standards, the committee imposes the following sanctions: Respondent No.1/Syed Zahir Ali Shah is hereby banned from all football-related activities for a period of ten (10) years.

Respondent No. 2/Basit Kamal is hereby banned from all football-related activities for a period of five (5) years. iii. Respondent No.1 and 2 are removed from all positions in the structure of PFF, its clubs and affiliated units, effective immediately.

Several other charges were also levelled against Zahir Shah including the misappropriation in KPK Goal Project. The NC stated that complainants submit that Respondents No. 1 and 2 have been complicit in the misappropriation, embezzlement, and unauthorized diversion of funds allocated by the PFF, FIFA, the AFC and the government of Pakistan.

These funds, earmarked for the development and promotion of football infrastructure and activities in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, were specifically associated with the Peshawar Goal Project and the Inter-City Football Championships held in 2018.

The complainants, according to the NC Disciplinary Committee alleged that the Respondents, in their respective official capacities, orchestrated a misapplication of these funds in a manner that was unauthorised, opaque, and detrimental to the statutory objectives of the PFF.

It is further alleged that, during the year 2018, the Respondents caused the illegal withdrawal and utilization of approximately PKR 2 to 2.5 million from the official bank accounts of the PFF at a time when the Federation was not recognized by FIFA.

These funds were purportedly used to organise unauthorised tournaments in Peshawar, devoid of audit or financial scrutiny. Respondent No. 1, who was serving as President of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Football Association at the relevant time, is accused of approving and facilitating these expenditures without any approval from the competent governing bodies.

Respondent No. 2, in his capacity as General Secretary, is alleged to have operated in concert with Respondent No. 1, and the funds in question were transferred not to official accounts of the Association, but to personal accounts.”

When a close associate of Zahir Shah was contacted he refuted all these allegations terming false and malafide. “These all allegations that the PFF NC has levelled are baseless and malafide. All the expenditures made on the Inter-City Football and other expenditures were approved by Congress. So there is no question of any misappropriation.

Those seeking western interest and wanting to take over the PFF by all means are actually afraid of Zahir Shah’s popularity. They want to have his name removed from the Congress so that he would not be in a position to contest the PFF election. We will use all legal channels to seek justice,” he said.