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ISLAMABAD, Feb 06 (APP):The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) has formed a sub-committee under the convenorship of Member National Assembly (MNA) Anjum Aqeel to examine the matters concerning the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).
The Committee which met on Thursday here at the Ministry of IPC under the chairmanship of MNA Muhammad Sana Ullah Khan Masti Khel was briefed by Haroon Malik, Chairman of the Normalization Committee PFF, on the election process within the PFF from the district level onwards.
He informed the Committee that all elections have been completed and that the 22 elected congress members will oversee the next phase.
He also highlighted that, for the first time, the Pakistan Football Federation participated in the 2023 Olympic qualifiers and advanced to the second round. He assured the Committee that he is not a candidate for any PFF election or position.
The Committee appreciated the efforts of the PFF in promoting football at the Olympic level. Sardar Naveed Haider, former PFF Provincial President, also briefed the Committee and expressed his reservations regarding the Federation’s affairs.
To further examine the matters concerning the PFF, the Committee formed a sub-committee under the convenorship of MNA Anjum Aqeel while other members include MNA’s Dr. Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto and Jamshed Ahmed Dasti.
The Director General (DG) and Deputy DG of the Pakistan Sports Board, along with independent footballer Sohaib, will assist the sub-committee. This sub-committee will engage with PFF congress members and review the appointment of three women members to the PFF Congress.
The meeting also included briefings on the Kalur Kot Bridge on the Indus River and Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) projects.
The General Manager (Design) of the National Highway Authority (NHA) briefed the Committee on the construction of linking and approach roads. Representatives from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Punjab, the Federal Planning Commission, and the Ministry of Communications attended the meeting. However, the Committee expressed displeasure over the absence of the Secretary of Communication and Works (C&W) Punjab. After detailed discussions, the Committee directed the Additional Secretary IPC to hold a meeting with all stakeholders.
The Additional Secretary informed the Committee that a fresh topographic survey will be conducted, and the approval of a PC-1 will be required.
However, budgetary allocations have already been reserved under the PSDP and Asian Development Bank (ADB) projects for the fiscal year 2025-26 at both federal and provincial levels.
The Committee directed the Chief Secretaries and Secretaries of C&W Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to submit an update on the bridge construction within one month.
It emphasized that the Kalur Kot Bridge is a critical infrastructure project benefiting the entire country. Given the substantial financial investment, any delays in completion would result in significant losses. The Committee stressed the importance of improved connectivity for the people of KP, Punjab, and Baluchistan.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Anjum Aqeel Khan, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasar, Ms. Shaista Khan, Haji Rasool Bux Chandio, Syeda Shehla Raza, Dr. Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Khawaja Izhar-Ul-Hassan, Muhammad Miqdad Ali Khan, Jamshed Ahmed, and Syed Sami Ullah. The Additional Secretary IPC, representatives from NHA, KP & Punjab and other officers and official also attended the meeting.