KATHMANDU: The Patan High Court has issued an interim order directing authorities not to obstruct the foreign travel of the President, General Secretary, and other officials of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA).

A joint bench of Judges Ganesh Prasad Baral and Tejendra Prasad Sharma Sapkota issued the order on Friday, stating that no travel restrictions should be imposed since the suspension previously levied by the National Sports Council (NSC) had already been lifted on May 15.

“In the context of the suspension being lifted, an interim order has been issued against the opponents in accordance with Rule 42 (1) of the High Court Rules, 2016. This order directs them not to obstruct the travel and to immediately halt the implementation of the letter written by the NSC to the Ministry of Youth and Sports on April 21—which requested the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Department of Immigration to block the international participation and foreign travel of the ANFA President, General Secretary, and other officials and members—as well as any subsequent correspondence made to various agencies,” the order states.

The NSC had suspended ANFA for three months on March 25, as a disciplinary action under the Sports Development Act, 2020, and the National Sports Development Rules, 2022. The NSC had accused ANFA of repeatedly failing to comply with its directives, attempting to move forward with the election process without approval, and submitting unsatisfactory explanations to the council’s queries. The council had taken this strict measure primarily arguing that ANFA had acted against the decisions of its own executive committee.

It was specified that ANFA could not perform any administrative or election-related activities during the suspension period. Furthermore, the council had stated that necessary investigations and further decision-making processes would be carried out during this time. However, the NSC lifted the suspension on May 15.