NA committee meeting on hockey, cricket delayed

Abdul Mohi Shah

ISLAMABAD: The important National Assembly Standing Committee May 6 meeting has been put off with chairman Agha Hassan Baloch promising to convene it at earliest to look into hockey and cricket developments in the best interest of these games.

Talking to The News, chairman of the committee said that pressing commitments of all Assembly members resulted in the postponement. “As you know the session is on and under such circumstances it would be difficult to discuss the issues confronting the game of hockey and cricket in length and breadth when you have other commitments also. I know well that the meeting is very important and that is why I have decided to postpone it for next available time. What I want is maximum participation of ommittee members in the meeting.”

A renowned MNA from Balochistan Agha Hassan Baloch however confirmed that the meeting would be held somewhere on May 16-17. “Besides cricket, the developments in hockey will be our main focus. We want to go into detail as to what has happened in the game that resulted in such a deterioration at all levels. We have to look into to all the relevant matters. The meeting now is expected to be held on May 16 or 17. The official notification would be issued once we finalise dates.”

He said before the meeting he would not meet any of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) official who had been running the show for the last three to four years. “I want to discuss all hockey issues on merit and no favours would be extended to anyone. There is a dire need to stem the rot. Why our hockey standard has gone so low. There is need to go into details,” he said. Besides, hockey, the suspended Governing Board members have also recently approached the NA Committee against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decision.

Meanwhile, The News has also learnt that in a letter addressed to NA Committee chairman, the PCB has requested for the postponement enabling board top officials to attend the meeting. In the case the NA committee meets on May 16 or May 17, there are good chances that some leading officials from the PCB would also be in a position to attend the meeting.