Chiefs of 12 sports bodies clinging to their seats

ISLAMABAD: Twelve heads of major sports federations have completed their two terms (8 years) and have been sitting on a newly established post as chairmen to extend their tenures clearly in violation of the policy and some of them are clinging to their seats for the 28 to 30 years, a federal secretary disclosed.

Mohsin Mushtaq, secretary of the ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination — which deals with sports all over Pakistan — told this correspondent that 12 influential people have created a new post, which did not exist before, after completing their two terms at different sports federations in violation of law.

Explaining about the violations, the secretary said: "The posts of sports federations has become a musical chairs show nowadays. New posts¸ which never existed, are being created by influential people after they had completed their two terms at 12 different federations".

There are people at some sport federations who have been there for the past 28 to 30 years doing the same job, said the official. According to the two-term sports policy, no one can remain posted to the seats of President, Secretary and Treasurer for more than two terms.

The policy also bars the official from getting any other post after completing two terms, Mohsin Mushtaq added. The secretary from the ministry also told this correspondent that POA and National Sports Federations are against the new sports policy and the creation of independent electoral forum.

Under this new policy, the chief election commission for sports federations will stop any official from having any post after completing two terms, said Mohsin Mushtaq. "A dispute resolution committee is also being established which will be run by non-controversial people '', the secretary IPC revealed.

In addition, as of today, there is no system to regulate or check these sports federations and to implement the existing sports policy. In efforts to keep these federations back on track, Pakistan Sports Board Director General Asif Zaman confirmed to The News that a new policy is in the final phase and about to be introduced to ensure the implementation of two-term policy and keep the high posts of sports federations transparent. "The drafts of the new policy is being shared with all 41 federations today", told PSB DG. Under the new policy, an electoral body is being established to elect competent people on higher posts of the federations. The head of this election commission will be a retired High Court Judge with two more members — one from POA and one from PSB — who will conduct elections of all the federations, explained DG PSB.

This correspondent has tried to contact the POA president to get his version, but failed despite repeated calls and messages. . As far as President of Pakistan Olympics Association (POA) is concerned, according to the policy of International Olympics Association (IOC), involvement of third party in the matters of POA or any other department associated with IOC is strictly prohibited, and if any third party intervenes, the IOC can suspend the respective Olympics department. Therefore, POA will not come under the new policy and its matters will be only dealt with by the IOC.