PM to decide PHF’s fate after Belarus visit

KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to take a decision about the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) after his visit to Belarus.
The committee that he formed after Pakistan’s failure to qualify for Rio Olympics 2016 has completed and submitted its report.
The Prime Minister’s visit concludes on August 13.
Sources in Islamabad said that the action on the report was delayed because of the preoccupation of the chief executive of the country.
The sources also said that PHF officials tried hard to convince the federal government to show leniency to them, but they completely failed to convince the federal government to accept them as future guards of the national game.
PHF president Akhtar Rasool stayed a few days in Islamabad, but failed to meet Nawaz Sharif.
He said to his associates that he would resign if Nawaz asked him to do so. But sources said the PM did not want to talk to him. The federal government is taking all measures before any action against PHF to avoid litigation afterwards.
The sources said that the arrest of PHF former president Qasim Zia in a NAB case had crushed all the hopes of PHF bosses.
Some sources said investigation by NAB might lead to the misuse of funds by PHF which has been given more than Rs1 billion during the last seven years, which include the reign of Qasim.
Former Olympians, officials and organisers have expressed serious reservations about the integrity of PHF chiefs.
The federal government completed the audit of PHF accounts a few days ago.
The sources said that during the audit process the PHF bosses looked under a lot of pressure.
They said that it seemed the government wanted the PHF officials to resign themselves. Otherwise, the government would have to take strict action, they added.
Pakistan are to play Junior Asia Cup in October 2015 and Junior World Cup in 2016 in India.
Due to the critical situation in the officialdom the preparations of the juniors have been badly affected.