PHF funds audit delayed further

KARACHI: Due to the lethargic attitude of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and federal government, the audit of expenditure of PHF during the PPP government has not been started, ‘The News’ has learnt.
Highly-placed sources in Islamabad told ‘The News’ that they had asked the PHF management on May 12 to decide a final date to start the audit but due to sluggishness of PHF, the federal government’s audit committee has not been able to begin the proceedings. It could be delayed till the end of this month, they said.
The PHF management itself invited the federal government to conduct the audit in order to end mistrust of hockey community about the use of funds.
But the PHF later informed the federal government that its finance manager was on leave which made it difficult for them to start the audit.
They further cited national hockey team’s preparation for the Olympics qualifying rounds, to be held in Belgium in June, as a reason for not initiating the audit.
But some sources said that neither was the PHF finance manager on leave nor were they busy in any preparation for the Olympic qualifiers.
Former Olympian Salim Nazim, who is an important part of the group of Olympians which has launched a movement against the PHF and wants the current office bearers removed, claimed the entire hockey community knew already who was involved in usurping public money.
Salim said that when more than Rs 1 billion was given to Qasim Zia and Asif Bajwa-run PHF during the PPP tenure the present PHF secretary Rana Mujahid was the joint secretary.
“Our group has been raising voice from day one that they are all involved in misuse of funds and are trying to save each other by delaying tactics,” he said.
Salim said Rana Mujahid had held at least seven posts in PHF, including those of chairman hockey academy, member selection committee, and director coaching development.
Current PHF president Akhtar Rasool was manager and chairman of national selection committee at that time, said Salim.
He said that former Olympians and local hockey coaches and organisers were waiting for the findings of the audit committee.
There is delay in audit despite the fact that information minister Pervaiz Rasheed and finance minister Ishaq Dar have publicly expressed concerns about use of funds by PHF. The federal government has announced that it would not release big amounts to PHF as it demanded. It decided to release money according to the requirement of the national team.
Olympian Qamar Zia said that the PHF management was not ready to sort out the irregularities.