Shahbaz may get key PHF post after Rana resigns

KARACHI: It’s not official yet but there are strong indications that Rana Mujahid’s controversial stint as secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is finally over.
Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ on Tuesday that under-pressure from various quarters, Rana has tendered his resignation to Brig (retd) Khalid Khokhar, the new PHF president.
Sources said that Khokhar will formally announce the news of Rana’s resignation once he assumes charge at the PHF headquarters in Lahore later this week.
According to sources, legendary Olympian Shahbaz Ahmed is likely to replace Rana as the PHF secretary.
A source privy to the latest developments said that though there wasn’t any farewell meeting, the staff at the PHF headquarters has been informed that Rana is no longer the secretary.
It has been learnt that Rana had no option but to resign after he was told by the authorities that if he stays he will have to face investigations about millions of rupees given as funds to the PHF by the government.
“Rana was adamant that he will not resign but when told that there would be full-fledged investigations into allegations of corruption within the PHF he decided to quit as secretary,” a source said.
The PHF accounts have been under close scrutiny as critics of officials like Rana and his predecessor Asif Bajwa claim that they were involved in corruption.
Sources said that government departments including NAB and FIA were also looking into such allegations.
Pakistan hockey has been in the news in recent months after the national team’s failure to make the cut for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
Akhtar Rasool, the former Olympian who was criticised for his team’s failure in the Olympic Qualifiers, was forced to resign as PHF president last month.
With the departure of Akhtar and Rana, wholesale changes are likely in the PHF set-up with Shahbaz coming in as secretary as Khalid Bashir, the former Olympian, expected to be appointed as associate secretary. Hasan sardar, another former stalwart, is likely to be named as the chief selector.