Pakistan’s sports activities government have banned hockey participant Rashid-ul-Hasan, a member of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics gold medal-winning crew, for 10 years for allegedly the usage of offensive language towards Top Minister Imran Khan, a media record mentioned on Friday.
Rashid, 62, whilst categorically denying the allegations of the usage of offensive language, is thinking about the approach to problem the ban within the court docket of regulation, the Morning time newspaper reported.
He used to be banned by means of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Thursday for 10 years after he criticised Top Minister Khan — who could also be PHF patron-in-chief — on a social media platform over the decline of the game within the nation, it mentioned.
Expressing his wonder over the ban, Rashid mentioned that lately he used to be now not even retaining any place within the federation.
The transfer is anticipated to lift voices in give a boost to of freedom of expression.
A PHF inquiry committee used to be constituted to look if Rashid had used abusive language towards Khan.
The directions got by means of the PHF president Brig. (retd.) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar and secretary Asif Bajwa, in keeping with a remark.
After Rashid didn’t reply to 2 notices, the committee on PHF president’s directions imposed the 10-year ban. The reproduction of the notification has additionally been despatched to the Nationwide Meeting’s Status Committee on Sports activities.
HAVE ALWAYS GIVEN DUE RESPECT TO THE PM: RASHID
Talking at the topic, Rashid dispelled the influence of abusive language he used to be speculated to have used towards the high minister on any social media discussion board.
“On social media or another public media, I’ve at all times given (due) admire to the high minister,” Rashid instructed the Morning time newspaper.
“On a WhatsApp staff I best mentioned that at the container even though Imran Khan used to be claiming that he would put the sport of hockey not off course, not anything got here at the floor all the way through the final 3 years. And I additionally mentioned Imran won’t do any just right paintings for hockey,” the Olympian remarked whilst giving his explanation.
As a citizen of the rustic, Rashid mentioned, he had the proper to talk, however “I didn’t use any abusive language”.
In keeping with Rashid, he won the primary understand from the PHF some 5 months in the past, including “it didn’t lift any forged subject matter, that’s why I didn’t believe it severe”.
“The second one clarification understand I won some 45 days in the past. I wrote a brief respond to the PHF refusing to simply accept the allegations as I didn’t use any abusive language towards the high minister,” he mentioned.
In the meantime, the PHF asked the Pakistan Sports activities Board (PSB) to factor letters to the Pakistan Digital Media Regulatory Authority and different related establishments to take additional steps for imposing the ban on Rashid, the record added.