PHF asked not to approach IPC ministry directly

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) officials have been barred from approaching directly to the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) and were directed to use proper forum of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for queries and requests.

‘The News’ has learnt from well-placed sources in the ministry that the top officials have expressed their concern over some PHF officials’ direct approach to the IPC high-ups.

“The IPC Ministry told PSB to tell all relevant federations specially PHF not to take liberty of making direct approach to the ministry for any query, information or any assistant. The PHF should follow the norms and register all their pleas with the PSB instead,” the source said.

It has also been learnt that several approaches by the PHF officials to meet IPC minister ended up with no results. “We have a system in place as all the federations and their officials are required to move through the PSB instead of approaching directly to the ministry,” the source said.

The PHF affairs are in desperate state following government’s refusal to release annual grant or special grant in recent past. The government is of the opinion that it had given enough financial support to the PHF during the last three years. The released amount coming through all source, including special grant from the Patron in Chief, annual grant and grant from chief ministers, was enough to run the federation affairs even for five years.

The government has recently formed a task force headed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani to look into federations’ affairs. Though the TROs have yet to be finalised, it is believed that the task force is to start working within a month time.

“We are in final stage of nominating members of the task force. It would start working once it gets complete shape,” one of the ministry officials when contacted said.

Meanwhile, the source made it clear that there would be no release of grant for any federation till the time the task force finalises its recommendations. “We have been receiving several queries regarding release of annual grant. The government has decided that there will be no release of any grant till the time the task force completes its recommendations.

“All grants including annual and special have been withheld as their release has been associated with the task force recommendations,” the official said.

The PSB official did not rule out conducting special audit of leading federations by Auditor General of Pakistan before releasing the next tranche. “You can’t rule this possibility. There are chances that the special audit of all leading federations including PHF would be conducted before releasing any further grant,” the official said.