Shakeup likely in PHF once again

KARACHI: All is not well in Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) despite resignations of top officials, including Akhtar Rasool and Rana Mujahid.
Former Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali has expressed his reservations about the appointments made in the PHF except that of its president.
Former secretary Col Mudassar, who is part of the PM’s inquiry committee formed after Pakistan’s failure to qualify for Rio Olympics 2016, is among those who is unhappy with the latest appointments, sources connected to the PHF issues said.
Those Olympians who had run a campaign against the previous PHF management and hockey organisers have also expressed serious reservations on the latest appointments in the PHF.
The sources said that the Olympians had no objection to the appointment of Khalid Khokhar, but they were opposed to the way the ministry of IPC was dealing with hockey issues. They said a critical situation has been created in the PHF just days after the appointments of its president and secretary.
The sources mentioned that federal government has directed the PHF to contact Zafarullah Jamali, who has been assigned by PM Nawaz Sharif to resolve the issues of PHF.
Khokhar and Shahbaz have contacted Jamali to win his support.
The sources said that Jamali would go to Islamabad in a day or two to meet the top PHF officials and a consensus would be developed for appointments in PHF in a constitutional way.
The sources said that Jamali and a number of Olympians have reservations that a high official of ministry of IPC was influencing the appointments in the PHF.
A source said that it was surprising that outgoing PHF officials were garlanded and their services applauded when they resigned although they had been facing inquiries.
Former Olympians said if close associates were appointed on the basis of relations and friendship, it would mean continuation of the previous group of PHF officials.
They said the meeting of PHF’s top officials with Jamali would be crucial. The sources said those recently appointed might be removed.