Helicopter ride for international squash players causes resentment

KARACHI: Former world champion Karim Abdel Gawad and some other international squash players were given a ride in a helicopter by Balochistan government which annoyed local squash fraternity and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been requested to investigate this incident.

It has been learnt that World No 4 Karim Abdel Gawad from Egypt, World No 2 Nouran Gohar of Egypt, World No 13 Olivia Clyne of the US, and World No 36 Alan Clyne from Scotland were given a ride to Ziarat in a government helicopter during the Balochistan International Squash League lately.

This “misuse” of a government helicopter did not go down well with the local squash fraternity and people of the under-developed province.

A copy of the complaint to the Chairman NAB available with this scribe revealed that Chairman Balochistan Squash Association (BSA) Sher Ali Kakar has requested the Chairman NAB to initiate inquiry/investigation into this matter.

“I would like to draw your kind attention towards the misuse of government money and the government property being purchased from the taxes of citizens of this country.

“Recently, Agha Umer Ahmedzai [Chairman BISL] had taken international squash players on the official helicopter of Chief Minister Balochistan to visit Ziarat valley,” stated the letter.

He added that Agha Umer Ahmedzai is not a government official, so he cannot use a government helicopter. “The Chief Minister too does not have any authority under the law to allow the use of official helicopter to fly as a Taxi. Also, the provincial government bore the expenses of travelling from Quetta to Ziarat.

“[The international squash players] using the official resources visited different places in Ziarat and stayed at Quetta Club at the government expenses, thus huge losses have been caused to the government exchequer,” stated Kakar.

Kakar appealed to the Chairman NAB to take strict action against this misappropriation of tax money.