PCB chairman likely to miss NA body’s meeting today

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja who spent a busy day in Karachi on Tuesday is unlikely to appear for briefing during the meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) due to what is called pre-arranged meetings in the metropolitan city.

The committee that meets today (Wednesday) has 11-point agenda with item No 3 stating the chairman PCB would brief the members on the teams’ performance and development work on the domestic and international front.

A PCB official, when contacted, said that the chairman has busy days in Karachi.

“In all likelihood, the PCB chairman would not be attending the NA Committee meeting on Wednesday because of his pressing pre-arranged commitments in Karachi. In his place Chief Operating Officer (COO) PCB Salman Naseer is expected to brief the honourable members on the game development. The PCB Chairman will definitely attend the future meetings when required.”

Also on the meeting agenda is the termination of Ex-Pindi Stadium manager Nisar Mohammad Khan without issuing any reasons/allegations. He has been recently terminated from his position and has moved to the NA Committee against losing the job.

The discussion on hockey affairs is also expected to be deferred due to the death of Chief Selector Manzoor Junior’s wife. His wife breathed his last in Lahore the other day. Manzoor Junior was earlier scheduled to brief the NA Committee on the hockey future and measures required to upgrade the system in the country. The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Asif Bajwa and other officials who are busy attending the deceased funeral are also unlikely to attend the meeting.

Committee chairman Nawab Sher Waseer during the last meeting expressed his displeasure over the absence of the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) president Maj Gen (r) Akram Sahi from the meeting and asked all the leading federation officials including the president AFP to ensure the presence in next meeting. The AFP president is expected to brief the committee on athletics promotion in the country and hurdles the federation is facing in promoting the game in the country.

The committee will also be discussing the implementation of previous meeting’s recommendations.