VP Olympics Association and Other Officials Shocked at “Shambolic Elections”

Following the resignation of Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Arif Hassan, the senior Vice President of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), Syed Aqil Shah, expressed dissent over the process of the POA Interim president’s elections and the dubious nature in which they were conducted. Elections for the Pakistan Olympic Association were held on 31 December 2023.

On December 28, Arif Hassan handed in a resignation letter to the Executive Committee of the POA. On new-year’s eve a meeting of the Executive Committee was held in which the former DG FIA Syed Mohammad Abid Qadri Gillani was elected as Interim President of the Pakistan Olympic Association.

“The process was absolutely shambolic,” Shah said while talking to a news outlet. “It was an emergent meeting of the POA’s Executive Committee and election for the POA’s presidency for an interim period was not on the agenda,” The Vice President clarified.

The former Sports Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa added, “I was presiding that meeting. I did not say that election for the interim president of the POA should be conducted. I was on zoom and shouting but they left the meeting and said that the elections were held. They accepted Arif Hasan’s resignation and in just a few minutes everything was wrapped up”.

The Chairman of the Pakistan Wrestling Federation further said, “This election does not hold any transparency and I will challenge it at all levels. I will be writing an open letter to the Army Chief, the President of Pakistan and the Prime Minister. I will also write a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)”

He added further, “Any member of the general council can contest for an interim period and every member of the general council was interested in contesting the election but they were not given the chance as you have to notify the election first”

Previously, it was reported that the Pakistan Olympic Association extended the age for its office bearers by amending the constitution, the age of retirement for office bearers is now 75 years.

Additionally, it has been proposed that candidates for the POA Elections must be under the age of 71 at the time of their candidacy.