Lausanne, Switzerland, Oct 8, 2013: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) together with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) held a meeting today (Friday) in Lausanne involving IOC member Syed Shahid Ali; Mr Faridullah Khan, Federal Secretary to the Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination representing the Government of Pakistan; and a delegation of the IOC-recognised Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), headed by Lt Gen. (Retired) Syed Arif Hasan.
The situation currently faced by the Olympic Movement in Pakistan was reviewed, and the following agreement was reached:
– All parties agreed that the current situation must be resolved as quickly as possible in the interest of sport and the athletes in Pakistan.
– The Government of Pakistan expressed a firm commitment to fully respect and comply with the Olympic Charter, in particular the principle of autonomy of the Olympic Movement in the country. It was therefore agreed that the Government of Pakistan will cooperate and refrain from any undue intervention.
– In order to resolve any potential doubt with respect to allegations that parallel bodies have been established at the level of National Sports Federations, the IOC, together with the POA and each International Federation concerned, will review the composition of the POA before 1 December 2013 and ensure that the membership of the POA consists of National Federations duly affiliated to their respective International Federations, as per the Olympic Charter.
Upon completion of this process, it was agreed that no one would challenge the composition of the POA, and that all parties will act strictly within the framework of the existing structure of the POA and in accordance with the POA Constitution approved by the IOC.
A letter will be sent shortly to the Government of Pakistan and to the POA to establish the details of the process and what is expected from each party.
The IOC is of the view that the development of sport in a country requires fruitful cooperation between all institutions in charge. To this effect, the IOC hopes that mutual understanding and a productive relationship can now be established between the Government of Pakistan, the POA and the National Sports Federations with full respect of the jurisdiction and responsibility of each entity and without any interference. —- IOC/OCA
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