They’ve been forced to ban Aamir Atlas Khan, Pakistan’s top squash player over misconduct. But the youngster has challenged the decision of the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) and now the issue has snowballed into a major controversy.

After being slapped with a six-month ban, Aamir threatened to leave Pakistan and start representing ‘some other country’.

On Monday, Senate’s sports committee summoned top PSF officials and asked for an explanation. On Tuesday, Pakistan’s sports minister had a meeting with Aamir, who helped Pakistan win the Asian Games squash gold in Guangzhou, China, last November.

But it was a disaster that was waiting to happen.

Jansher, a record eight-time World Open champion, is Aamir’s uncle and the two have never really enjoyed the best of relations.

In his past interviews, Jansher had predicted that Aamir can never become a world champion. The former world No.1 also downplayed Aamir’s achievement when Pakistan won the squash gold in Guangzhou, saying that the Asian Games is a minor event at least in the field of squash.

Earlier this month, Aamir vented his anger at Jansher live on national television and described him as the “worst person to coach the younger players”.

Jansher was the chief guest on the show but Aamir spoke against him candidly to the surprise of the show’s host and millions of viewers all over Pakistan.

"The federation could not have picked a worst person to coach the young players. He is the one who stopped companies from sponsoring me for international events on the world circuit. He has no love for Pakistan squash," Aamir said on the show.

Just days after that outburst, the PSF decided to ban Aamir over misconduct.

Aamir blamed Jansher for the ban and later threatened to switch allegiance to some other country.

“Obviously he (Jansher) didn't like what I had to say to his face on television and I just spoke the truth," said Aamir.

"This is what you get for winning the gold medal and bringing laurels for your country," he lamented.

Jansher, meanwhile, rubbished Aamir’s allegation.

“I don’t know on what grounds he has been banned,” Jansher told Arab News. “I was out of the country on a personal trip,” he added.

But Jansher was quick to add that national players should follow PSF’s code of conduct.

“Players cannot be allowed to breach discipline,” he said. “An individual cannot be bigger than a game.”