PSB distances itself from PHF elections as audit issue heats up

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) distanced itself from the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) elections held on Friday, saying that no official or representative of the board acted as an observer.

Talking to ‘The News’, Col (r) Asif Zaman said that the summary had already been forwarded to the prime minister in this regard.

“Since the summary is with the prime minister, we are waiting for the outcome before moving ahead. We have no connection with the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s elections that were held in Karachi.

Since we have already formed a committee and the matter has been forwarded to the patron-in-chief for consideration, the PSB will not say anything till the time we get instructions from the top,” Col (r) Asif Zaman said.

When ‘The News’ approached a PHF official, he said that Sindh Sports Board official Shahid Ali was present as an observer during the PHF elections.

The PSB has already given the mandate to a committee formed recently to take over the PHF offices.

That committee included a representative from the PSB and former Olympians Nasir Ali, Rehan Butt and sitting PHF president Brig (r) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar.

However, Khokhar and Nasir Ali backed the elections held Friday in Karachi while Rehan Butt and representatives of the PSB distanced themselves from these elections.

Meanwhile, ‘The News’ story that highlighted the National Assembly’s Standing Committee unanimous decision to conduct a PHF audit triggered a fresh controversy.

The audit will focus as to who is responsible for the misuse of Rs1 billion special grant allocated to the federation during Nawaz Sharif’s third tenure as the prime minister.

Khokhar declared Friday that he would lodge an FIR against former secretary Shahbaz Ahmed for misappropriation of funds.

However, the sources close to the former secretary said he was having files full of corrupt practices.

“Everyone knows who was responsible for this mass corruption.

I have my file full of papers to support my claim,” former secretary PHF told his close friend.

It is generally believed that millions of rupees spent during that era had no record.

“The in-house audit has already highlighted the matter.

However, the issue got worse when allegations and counter allegations started with the NA Committee finally stepping in directing the concerned ministry to conduct a PHF audit for the last eight years.”

It is believed that the Ministry for IPC was also interested in conducting a forensic audit of the federation.

“Since, it was the ministry that sanctioned almost Rs1 billion to the federation around eight years back, it is our right to order a forensic audit.

Now when the NA committee’s recommendations are also there, we would go ahead with the audit. Now we would not sanction a penny as a special grant unless the government auditors go through the complete audit.”