NA body demands 8-year audit of PHF

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Wednesday recommended conducting eight-year forensic audit of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), directing the ministry to go ahead with its plans to streamline the game’s affairs in the country.

In an eventful meeting where some heated words were exchanged between the representatives of the sitting PHF’s hierarchy and a group of former stalwarts, Minister for IPC Ehsan Ur Rehman Mazari revealed that the summary of making necessary adjustments in the PHF hierarchy was already with the prime minister.

“We have suggested some changes in the PHF’s hierarchy. Since the prime minister is the patron-in-chief of the federation, we are waiting for his directions,” Mazari said.

Former Olympians Akhtar Rasool, Shahbaz Senior, Khawaja Junaid and Rehan Butt all spoke on the occasion calling for the new beginning at the federation level.

However, the proceedings took an ugly turn when Brig (r) Yousaf Baig, Nasir Ali, Shakil Abbasi and Usman who were representing the sitting President Brig (r) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar were asked to leave the meeting as they were sitting uninvited.

“We invited your president, not you. I would not allow you to speak here, you better leave,” Committee Chairman Nawab Sher Waseer said.

Later, the security was called to take them out of the room.

“I have served the game in the best possible way. It is really surprising that those running the show at the PHF Headquarters do not pay heed to government’s decision to de-notify the federation and instead they have started carrying out the election process. No rules were followed to conduct elections in Lahore city. Same complaints are pouring in from all other major cities of the country. I think free and fair PHF’s elections are the only way out and there is a dire need for helping hockey from the grassroots to the top level by investing a heavy amount in the development programme. When I left as the president PHF, Pakistan was ranked world No 6. Now they are 18th despite millions of rupees granted during the last eight years,” Akhtar Rasool said.

Shahbaz suggested appointing the PHF administrator at the earliest while Khawaja Junaid said that hockey required investment at a bigger level. “If we want to compete against the best teams in the world, we will have to spend heavily on player development.”

Rehan alleged that a PHF official got Rs5 million out of the federation’s kitty to have a good time at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. “On the one hand there is no money for the players daily while on the other officials are drawing heavy amounts for their joyrides.”

Nawab Sher Waseer called on the ministry to go ahead with the plan.

“Once the patron-in-chief’s approval comes, the ministry should take immediate action,” he said.