‘Major steps needed to streamline Pak sports’

ISLAMABAD: The government will have to take some major and far reaching steps to help streamline sports development in the country, claimed Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, a senior member of the Prime Minister Inspection Commission (PMIC) that held its inaugural meeting with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) officials on Wednesday.

“Sports in Pakistan require a total revamp as nothing is going right for all sports barring cricket. No sport has the required finances to run their programmes,” he said.

Akif said the government would have to take some major steps to put things on the right track.

Wednesday’s meeting was attended by PSB’s acting Director General Khaqan Babar and Deputy Director Generals Mansoor Khan and Azam Dar.

The PSB officials told the PMIC that they had no powers. “The Ministry of IPC has all the powers. We don’t have any power to bring in changes in the system. We are helpless,” they said.

They said the PSB was already under heavy investigation from all corners. “Be it NAB, FIA or Audit General of Pakistan, these days we are only busy in providing them with all relevant information on daily basis.”

The PMIC was critical of the construction of the Narowal Sports Complex so close to the Indian border. “That decision is void of wisdom,” the members claim.

Akif, also a former IPC secretary, said the commission members were briefed on all important aspects. “This was sort of an introductory meeting,” he said.

He said now ToR would be framed before forming proposals for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s consumption.

“I have to admit here that there is an overlap of powers and mandate. The PMIC has almost the same powers as the task force of sports has.”